Author: Ashley Mulvihill / Category Original Artworks / Published: Apr-07-2020
Author: Ashley Mulvihill / Category Original Artworks / Published: Apr-07-2020
I first discovered Rachel's work on Instagram and was immediately taken by the meditative quality of her art. The way she applies pen to paper/paint to canvas is fluid and intuitive. Her larger works have a kind of patchwork quality as if each square represents a specific thought or feeling she's unraveling, with her smaller works on paper showing how she begins that process.
A few months back, I visited her at her sunlit studio to talk about how she approaches her work, her Zen practice, and the importance of looking at art in the real world before buying online.
Tell us about your process?
I never know where to start with this question so I'll provide an anecdote instead. I bought a connect the dots puzzle book last year to bring to a cottage. The dots are supposed to turn into images, like hands chopping vegetables, a ferris wheel, a bunny rabbit, it's a whole random assortment. Each one is titled with a cheesy pun. Instead of following the numbered scheme I intuitively connected the dots in my own way so they became abstract webs, as if the thing had been haphazardly wrapped in thread. It was a very stoner thing to do though I was sober at the time. I think this has something to say about how my brain works.
What's the relationship between your drawing and painting practice?
Drawing is like breathing, painting is like using the breath to fuel movement. Drawing is sufficient in and of itself, but painting adds exciting possibilities.
Thank you for joining us! You can find available work by Rachel here.
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