Raleigh Ormerod is a five-year resident of Keene, New Hampshire who has served almost continuously on the Keene City Council, the Keene School Board, or both concurrently.  He hosts a monthly Saturday morning show on WKBK radio where he interviews expert guests with themes that impact the community. Topics include energy, the environment, cleantech, housing, helping kids in need, and of course happenings in the local arts scene. In his career, he applies his Fortune 500 executive background to advise high-impact companies and growth-minded leaders.

Raleigh’s art is inspired by night active creatures he encountered in the many places he has lived and worked across North America. He is a nature enthusiast, so his subjects are beautiful and vibrant representations of nocturnal animals, often shown with a celestial element.  His debut installation is a collection of limited-edition signed and numbered digital paintings on glossy metal titled the “Prime of Night”. Each design has a copyright registration number with the U.S. Library of Congress.  Raleigh’s art is composed almost exclusively of triangles. In some pieces he complements the triangle motif with a deliberate curved element. See if you can find the curves in his works. 

His 8-piece “Prime of Night” collection reflects his recent epic struggle and triumph over a life-threatening medical condition. Through his art, Raleigh illustrates a beauty and hope that persists in even the darkest hours.  Shattered sharp triangles represent devastating life circumstances which may be recomposed into vibrant and meaningful beauty. The medium of glossy digital paintings on metal is meant to convey hope, strength, and resilience.

- Raleigh

About the individual pieces

Medicine Bear

The first piece completed, or the Mother of the “Prime of Night” installation. It features an explicit heart line representing the spiritual breath of the creature, or all that is taken in with life experience to be shared with others. Look for the understated claws and teeth. The beautiful simplicity of Medicine Bear inspired the rest of the collection. This piece features a full balanced spectrum of colors and the celestial element of stars. It will pair well with most other pieces.

Song Dog - Dark Moon

This composition features an integrated heart line representing the spiritual breath of the creature, or all that is taken in with life experience to be shared with others. The turbulent plexus at the center feeds the beautiful extremities which resolve into fine details in the face and feet. It contains a large array of colors suggesting resilience, with a bias for warm tones. The celestial element of a subtle dark new moon represents the coyote’s cleverness. Often purchased and displayed with Song Dog - Light Moon and other pieces in the collection.

Song Dog - Light Moon

Geometrically symmetrical to Song Dog - Dark Moon, this piece also features an integrated heart line representing the spiritual breath of the creature, or all that is taken in with life experience to be shared with others. The turbulent plexus at the center feeds the beautiful extremities which resolve into fine details in the face and feet. This piece also has a large array of colors suggesting resilience, with a bias for cool tones. It features the celestial element of a bright full moon, representing the coyote’s charisma. Often purchased and displayed with Song Dog - Dark Moon and other pieces in the collection.

Great Owl

Flying straight toward us out of the black of night with talons outstretched and ready to strike, the breathtaking Great Owl commands attention on its own terms. Fine details accent the penetrating aspect of the eyes. Feel the fiery heart extend into the deadly fury of the talons and wings. Note the individual flight feathers on the wings that separate at the tips in a landing configuration. Curved talons are reminiscent of crescent moons. This composition possesses a full color palette with both warm colors and cool colors in their own clusters.

Renaissance Geckos

This composition suggests circular motion with geometric symmetry. It illustrates the theme of complementary cosmic elements like fire and ice, matter and anti-matter creation and destruction, and of opposite yet interconnected forces of Yin and Yang. Note the fine details in the toes that anchor the creatures and eyes that navigate eternity. It features a color scheme with the warm colors separated from the cool colors, and with yellow as a common accent color. Yellow accents are found throughout the “Prime of Night” installation pieces.

Pronghorn In Flight

This piece displays abounding energy, appropriate for the Western Hemisphere’s swiftest land animal. Note the fine details in the eye and horns, with purple and royal blue affirming the regal nature. The composition features confident cool colors including greens and turquoise which you might expect in the expansive open prairie and desert habitats. The overt celestial element of a shooting star reinforces the impression of swiftness and gives a contrasting warm yellow and orange accent.

Jackrabbit on Night Watch

This composition exudes a calm vigilance, helping guide and protect the warren. Fine details comprise the creature’s sensory apparatuses including the nose, ears, and an exquisitely composed emerald eye. Warm colors are woven in a pattern on the body suggesting musculature that is poised for action if necessary. The overt celestial element is a serene star field whose colors emulate stars in the Medicine Bear piece.

Exalted Jaguar

This piece portrays ultimate power, ferocity, and valor. Mayans believed the jaguar represented the ability of crossing between worlds, facing fears, confronting enemies, and looking deep inside one’s heart. This pièce de résistance is the most intricate composition, which seems appropriate for an apex predator. Whiskers are a special element critical to the big cat’s night and close range navigational senses. Therefore, this composition features them as the only curved element in a galaxy of triangles. Used sparingly in the other seven pieces of the installation, the color yellow dominates this particular piece, punctuated by royal blue and dark turquoise spots and rosettes. The branches of his perch bleed through the edges to visually anchor this piece on your wall. Your indoor habitat is reflected in the negative space.