Arin Rae
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arinrae.bsky.social
Arin Rae
@arinrae.bsky.social
270 followers 190 following 160 posts
Artist, scientist, storyteller. Nature lover, nerd, and teacher 🌈

Current Artist in Residence @ Mount St Helens

PhD Molecular Engineering
Data Viz/Science Educator

Shop: arinraeart.etsy.com
Website: www.arinraeart.com
Links: https://linktr.ee/arinrae
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arinrae.bsky.social
My next Portland watercolor workshop - celebrate fall with me at Bella Organic Farm on Sauvie Island! I'll teach you how to paint this pumpkin patch scene and inspire you to keep painting landscapes on your own! All supplies included, no experience needed!

#watercolorworkshop #portlandevents #pdx
October 3, 2025 at 11:31 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Happy Apple Cup, Huskies!! Two years later and this is far and above my best selling print, I appreciate you all so much 💜💛

You can buy it too!
www.etsy.com/listing/1785...

#uwfootball #gohuskies #huskyfootball #seattleart #seattlesports #uw #godawgs #pnwart #pnwartist
September 20, 2025 at 11:39 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Painting for just me for the first time in months. It was so special to sit in silence with the sunflowers and the bees

#pleinairpainting #watercolor #pleinairartist #painting #art #fallpainting
Plein air watercolor painting of a field of sunflowers
September 18, 2025 at 4:33 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Also these two National Park prints (Olympic and Death Valley), framed and matted look SO good together, I hope someone buys both so they don't get split up 🥺 #nps #nationalpark #nationalparkart #natureart
Framed watercolor giclée print of Olympic National Park Framed watercolor giclée print of Death Valley National Park Framed watercolor giclée prints of Olympic and Death Valley National Parks
September 5, 2025 at 6:50 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
I'm so excited for these framed giclée prints that I'll have for sale at the Clinton/Division Street Faire in Portland tomorrow! I carefully paired each print with its perfect frame and I'm finding it very hard to not just keep them for myself 😬 #watercolor #artprints #art #pdx #pdxartist
Framed watercolor giclée print of Mount St Helens Framed watercolor giclée print of Mount St Helens Framed watercolor giclée print of the Columbia River Framed watercolor giclée print of Hug Point Beach in Oregon
September 5, 2025 at 6:47 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Accidentally wrote a poem about the ocean last night #ocean #poetry #art #fog #pnwart
August 28, 2025 at 3:05 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
It's crazy how fast the colors change at Mount St. Helens. Even as I was painting this the warm golden glow darkened and confused me - my painting ended up darker than I wanted but I still love how it turned out!

Newest painting from my #sciart artist residency at Mount St Helens Institute
Watercolor and colored pencil painting of Mount St Helens from the Coldwater Science and Learning Center View of Mount St Helens from the Coldwater Science and Learning Center View of Mount St Helens from the Coldwater Science and Learning Center
August 17, 2025 at 3:58 AM
arinrae.bsky.social
My favorite page so far of my sketchbook journal from my #sciart residency at Mount St. Helens. I fell in love with the field of petrography and now I want to look at every single rock I find under a microscope.

#geology #rocks #pumice #art #watercolor #sketchbolk #naturejournal #mountsthelens
A page of my Mount St Helens sketchbook journal featuring the geology of pumice, a volcanic rock.
August 13, 2025 at 1:27 AM
arinrae.bsky.social
Field notes: observations of the plants in bloom along Hummocks trail at Mount St. Helens - part of my sketchbook for my artist residency at Mount St Helens Institute.

#sciart #naturejournal #watercolor #art
Page 1: flowers observed along the Hummocks trail at Mount St Helens North side. Red paintbrush, foxglove and pearly everlasting. Also a palette of Mount St. Helens - the colors mainly used in the journal Page 2: flowers observed along the Hummocks trail at Mount St Helens North side. Red huckleberry and broadleaf lupine. Also a plein air sketch of Hummocks trail.
August 8, 2025 at 2:16 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Some sketches and photos from the past few days of my #sciart residency at Mount St. Helens Institute. I've been thinking about the dynamic landscape - it feels still but everything is moving, changing. Sunsets, fog rolling in, the breathing of the silent mountain

#mtsthelens #sthelens #art
A watercolor painting of the Mount St Helens Coldwater Lake in morning fog A painting of St Helens volcano at sunset from the Science and Learning Center A photo of the sunrise at Mount St Helens Science and Learning Center A photo of dog hiking Boundary Trail to Johnston Ridge Observatory with a view of St Helen
August 5, 2025 at 2:26 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
My first two plein air sketches as an artist in residence at Mount St. Helens Institute. Learning the geology and topology of the land and the different colors of the transformed volcanic landscape #mtsthelens #sthelens #art #sciart
Watercolor painting/color study of Mount St Helens Plein air painting of hummocks formed from Mount St Helens eruption
August 2, 2025 at 12:15 AM
arinrae.bsky.social
My home for the next week as an artist (and scientist) in residence at Mount St Helens Institute #sthelens #sciart #mtsthelens #mshi #coldwaterlake
My tent on a cliff overlooking Coldwater Lake and Mount St Helens Mount St Helens and Coldwater Lake at sunset
August 1, 2025 at 12:58 AM
arinrae.bsky.social
My first time teaching a watercolor workshop was such a huge success! Seriously I was terrified that no one would show up, but I got to teach and inspire 15 wonderful humans at this heavenly lavender farm (Van Gogh Lavender) near Hood River, OR. Already planning my next workshop in Portland 🥰
Photo of me demonstrating my watercolor painting process of a lavender field Photo of me demonstrating my watercolor painting process of a lavender field - photo shows my quick painting and the field behind A family of five were visiting Oregon and used my workshop as a family bonding experience during their vacation! Most of them had never painted before! Two students were inspired by a different view and sat at this bench to paint the lavender field from a different angle
July 21, 2025 at 4:53 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
So, so excited (and nervous!) to teach my first watercolor workshop next week 7/19! I'll teach you to lose your fear of plein air painting in the most relaxing setting I know: Van Gogh Lavender Experience in Mt. Hood, near Hood River Oregon (about an hour and a half east of Portland)! Link below ↓
Details about my upcoming watercolor workshop at a lavender farm near Portland OR Photo of Van Gogh Lavender Farm with the gazebo we will be painting in! An example painting you could create if you come to my workshop!
July 10, 2025 at 11:32 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Lots of things coming up for me in July and August! Especially excited for my #sciart residency at Mount St. Helens Institute next month - I'll share more details as everything unfolds!
Schedule of my upcoming events in July and August: July 19: watercolor Sketching workshop at Van Gogh Lavender Farm in Hood River, OR July 30-Aug 7: SciArt residency at Mount St Helens Aug 2: Free SciArt workshop open to the public on Mt. St. Helens Aug 9: Wonderwood Faire Fantastic Worlds popup market
July 1, 2025 at 4:09 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
My newest Pride painting! This one will be for sale at Radius Gallery in Portland starting July 13 at their Summer Market and Pride Gallery Show! 🌈

#prideart #pride #queerartist #watercolor #oceanpainting
Watercolor painting celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride - a human sitting on rocks with the ocean waves hitting them. The sunset casts rainbow shadows on the rocks
June 27, 2025 at 7:32 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Life has been A Lot lately. Trying to get back into quick, loose sketching - no perfectionism, just trying to capture the mood of a scene. This is day 7/10 of Lena Moz's #SummerSketchFlow2025 challenge.
Watercolor and mixed media sketch of a stone entryway with a valley behind it. Watercolor and mixed media sketch of a stone entryway with a valley behind it. Photo of the painting with some generic foliage behind it.
June 23, 2025 at 1:13 AM
arinrae.bsky.social
I've just lowered the price on my full collection of Watercolor Pride Flag earrings to make them more affordable for all! $15/pair ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜

Each flag is sealed and hand painted on thick paper, hypoallergenic with sterling silver or gold-filled findings.

Happy #pride!

#prideart #pridejewelry #lgbt
Rainbow pride flag watercolor earrings with amethyst beads Nonbinary pride flag watercolor earrings with amethyst beads Bisexual pride flag watercolor earrings with sapphire beads Lesbian pride flag watercolor earrings with orange agate beads
June 10, 2025 at 8:51 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Working on a new piece for Pride - part of a bigger series about my connection to nature and my environment as a queer person in the PNW. Not sure how it's June already, I meant to have a bunch of these as prints already 😅

#pride #prideart #pnwart #pnwartist #watercolor #wip
June 10, 2025 at 12:31 AM
arinrae.bsky.social
Here are some of my favorite rock pieces my grandpa made that I have displayed in my house.
An agate geode half that's entirely filled in. Not sure what the red is. Does anyone know? Petrified wood bookend Geode quarter with lots of crystals. A huge, perfect orange agate geode with a sparkling crystal center and orange and white bands.
June 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
The most interesting part of the rocks to me is their history and science. I'll be starting by learning the rock types and where my grandpa mined each one. I'll be sharing my learning through watercolor illustrations so you can learn too. His textbook on mineralogy is a good place to start.
My grandpa's college textbook on mineralogy and a little handbook on rocks and minerals
June 6, 2025 at 4:18 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
This week I was knees deep in my grandpa's garage 14 hours a day packing up 50 years of rock collecting into a uhaul. I inherited his business selling rock and gem jewelry and other beautiful rock masterpieces - my friend and I will be slowly taking it over with our own modern spin.
My rockhound grandpa's garage stacked full to the brim with raw rocks, cut slabs and fully polished cabs. A small selection of polished cabs we were giving out to neighbors Beautiful assortment of unfinished cabs - they still need to be smoothed around the edges and polished A treasure map my grandpa left us on where to find magnasite. There was another for Jasper as well.
June 6, 2025 at 4:13 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Disappeared for a bit but I went to London and painted Big Ben on the Thames.

#urbansketching #usklondon
Finished painting of Big Ben and Parliament building in London, painted mostly on location while I was on vacation. Work in progress painting of Big Ben and Parliament in London - a photo of the painting with the scene in the background showing how much I completed on location. A photo of me painting on the side of the river Thames with Big Ben in the background A work in progress shot of my painting on my lap by the Thames with Parliament in the background
May 18, 2025 at 5:51 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
Been real slow finishing the prep for my next shop update but I love how the prints and stickers of #shenandoahNP look next to the original painting! I love this painting because it was an ugly, brown day at the park but art can make any day beautiful ❤️

#sciart #landscapepainting #nationalparks
Original watercolor painting, prints and stickers of Shenandoah national park in the winter Reference photo of my view hiking at Shenandoah National Park in March
April 29, 2025 at 8:04 PM
arinrae.bsky.social
One of my favorite ways of sharing my art is through donations. I just donated $300 to Rose City Pride Bands, a queer wind ensemble I play in, by selling prints of this painting I made while waiting backstage at our recent concert at the Schnitzer in Portland ❤️

#art #urbansketching #pdx #pdxart
Watercolor painting of the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall in Portland Oregon, with marquee advertising the Our New World concert by Rose City Pride Bands, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus and Portland Lesbian Choir. A stack of prints of Arlene Schnitzer concert hall watercolor painting. Watercolor painting of the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall in Portland Oregon, with marquee advertising the Our New World concert by Rose City Pride Bands, Portland Gay Men’s Chorus and Portland Lesbian Choir.
April 25, 2025 at 4:50 PM