Submitted photo ... Daniel Rauschenbach of Struthers does live painting at one of the monthly Youngstown Fleas.

STRUTHERS — Daniel Rauschenbach has been committed to painting every day since he was 16.

Over the years, he has experimented with bronze sculpture, ceramics, acrylic and oil painting. While living in London for nine months in 2012, Rauschenbach discovered his love for watercolor.

“While in London, I loved painting near the Thames River, and that is where it clicked in my head that I wanted to push watercolor. I have done acrylic paintings and oil paintings over the years, but with acrylics and oils, it’s too time consuming. In watercolor, there is no forgiveness, instead it’s all about capturing the moment and watercolor allows me to paint live in front of people at events. Creating live paintings in watercolor are the happiest moments of my life.

“Painting live is the best advertisement for me. It shows people that art is still being made. People would stop by and see me painting and ask me questions nonstop. I love answering those questions; it’s how people relate to the piece,” Rauschenbach said.

Rauschenbach, 36, considers himself a “wedding soup artist” in the tradition that his work is uniquely Youngstown, akin to the locally well -known dishes, Brier Hill pizza and wedding soup.

“I have all these styles and bring all these ideas into the pot when I create a piece,” Rauschenbach said.

ARTISTIC INFLUENCES

Rauschenbach grew up in Struthers and attended Struthers High School. However, it was his grandfather, Jack Walsh, a literature and English teacher at Chaney High School in Youngstown, who influenced Rauschenbach through culture, philosophy and art. Rauschenbach said at the time, Chaney High School had a Latin program and his grandfather would always encourage him with the famous Latin aphorism, “Illegitimi non carborundum,” which translates to ‘Don’t let (people) grind you down.”

“That is how my grandfather encouraged me with art. My grandmother, Nona Walsh, handed me watercolors when I was 2 years old. That was my first memory when it came to art. She told me to paint the Cleveland Browns, and I knew their colors were brown and orange and that was my first start. Ron Mistovich, my art teacher at Struthers High School, introduced me to the idea of doing art shows at the Butler Institute of American Art. His wife, Joyce Mistovich, is the education director at the Butler. When I first did shows at the Butler, I met the acclaimed area artist, Clyde Singer. I had no clue at the time that he was this legendary artist. Youngstown has these big connections, and it was Singer who told me to keep going with my art, ” Rauschenbach said.

Rauschenbach went to Youngstown State University and graduated with a BFA in ceramics. He also earned his master’s in American Studies at YSU as well. Rauschenbach always considered himself a Youngstown -influenced artist in the tradition that his work is highly influenced by the harmonious balance of the industrial backdrop with a pop of color, fused with the landscape of Mill Creek Park.

“Starting in 2006 up until today, I started spending summers in Maine painting the landscapes up and down the coast. In fact, I just returned home from a trip to Maine, which is an industrial landscape just like Youngstown. You have the fisheries, the textile industry, shoe manufacturers and then you have the ocean right there. It is not beach, and it’s just all rocks along the ocean. One way I could describe Maine is that it’s like a bigger version of Mill Creek Park,” Rauschenbach said.

He added that some of his biggest artistic influences are the local artists, Tony Armeni, Eric Alleman and the late great Chris Yambar. Making art with these artists inspired Rauschenbach to keep creating.

“Yambar was the showman, Armeni was the one who is sculpting by day, playing music by night, and Alleman writes by day and creates art by night. Take those three guys and the term ‘watercolor’ and that is what my art looks like. For me, creating art is about capturing the experience. It is like my little journal entry,” Rauschenbach said.

The cross influence of the large-scale landscape of Maine and the industrial charm of Youngstown are the characteristics that make Rauschenbach’s watercolor paintings very accessible to all audiences.

“I did a show in Columbus where I was represented by The Emergent Art and Craft gallery. At the show I was doing these paintings of Youngstown and Maine and everyone would ask questions about my work . Whether it was the Maine coastline or the steel mills of Youngstown, the people at that show attached themselves to the working class sensibilities of those paintings. The lobstermen in Maine, the steelworkers in Youngstown, there is a story there, a common thread. If people can pull some heritage out of a piece of art, they can relate to the work,” Rauschenbach said.

Rauschenbach has pieces in private collections in every state. He said whenever he does shows, his wife Emily Rauschenbach is always there to help.

“She sews, cooks and does graphic design. Emily is a ‘jack of all trades’. She runs the books while I am painting up front at art shows and festivals. She always encourages me to just sell the darn piece and move on. I will be painting and talking to people. I am the gabber, and she is more of the business-oriented person; she is the boss,” Rauschenbach said.

While in college, Rauschenbach did bronze sculptures and ceramics. That is how he met Armeni. Rauschenbach then did shows at The Lemon Grove in downtown Youngstown, where he met Alleman and Jacob Harver.

Rauschenbach and Steve Poullas (co-owner of the SOAP Gallery) operated the SOAP Gallery, which was formerly located on Champion Street in downtown Youngstown. The Champion Street location closed in the spring. Rauschenbach and Poullas are scouting out new locations for the SOAP Gallery.