Painting the world

     Fueled by my exuberance for life and passion for painting, my art is a reflection of my personal life’s journey and my honest reaction to the world around me.  I strive to create pieces that invite the viewer to take the journey with me. 

    
My eclectic style affords me the versatility to create realistic portraits as well as impressionistic landscapes and abstract designs.  I love using both acrylic and oil paint, as well as mixed media/assemblage on canvas and cradle wood board.  My life’s experiences-extensive travel to 84 countries and  a residency years ago with Robert Rauschenberg, are influences in my art.

In my newest mixed media International Women Series, my aim is to bring awareness, a connection, and respect to the rich multi cultures that women around the world exemplify. Within these narratives  is my belief that the beauty in the world lies in its diversity.

Oh, the glory of translating my impression of the variety of amazing landscapes I’ve seen around the world through color, texture, shape and mark making!

And while "Behind Closed Doors" is a series of mixed media assemblages that are based on unusual doors from all over the world, my photographs of people and landscapes from various countries further capture the essence of my art. 

     Avrel Menkes developed an affinity and love for drawing and painting at a very young age. At 3 years old she greeted visitors to her home with, “Sit down. I draw you.” At 11 she was taught privately by renowned artist and Boston Museum School college professor, Sol Levenson, whom she credits as first inspiring her to paint landscapes through an artist’s eye. 

    Avrel obtained a BFA from the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford on a full 4 year scholarship. In addition to a MA in painting, she studied post grad at the Santa Reparata International School of Art, Florence, Italy.  During her career, and representing New York, she was chosen by Robert Rauschenberg to study under him at the Lab School in Washington, DC. 

    Avrel's many lifetime national awards and accolades include Disney Teacher of the Year, USA Today Teacher of the Year, and a Fulbright Scholarship presented jointly by the United States and Japanese governments. As a product of the Fulbright, the murals she created, in collaboration with an artist in Japan, are on display in The Presidential Library of The White House and Japanese Embassy in New York City.  

    Painting full time in her studios in New York and Florida, after retiring from a 25 year art teaching career in Jericho New York Public Schools, Avrel is happily sharing and selling her art through continual museum and gallery exhibitions. Her paintings, mixed media art, photographs, and assemblages  are also featured in national and international art publications, as well as private collections in the United States, Japan, Italy and Canada.