It was with reclaimed zinc that Rachelle began developing the unique kind of canvas that anchors most of her current work. The edges are folded back to form an elegant, ready-to-hang frame that is integral to the surface. Then she paints with acrylic and with the oil-based liquid, directly onto the porous metal surface. She spent two years developing her original painting technique. Her work is abstract, often with patterns or networks that spread across the surface like fractals. There are repeated, recognizable elements that diagram myriad units that are all different but, in the wider scheme, largely the same in connection with each other, but also broken and separated. These, she says, can be read as an allegory for the interrelationships of people within our system. The creative process begins with .22 gauge pre-patina zinc metal sheets originating from Germany in 1M sheets which then get cut, bent, and hemmed to the specified sizes followed by the application of paints & oils.