Hi, I’m Rachel!
I can help turn your cherished memories, people, pets, and/or places into physical mementos you can look at and enjoy for the rest of your life. ❤️
About Me
I Mainly Work with Gouache, Watercolors, Color Pencils, and Inks!
But really, I aim to depict colors, shapes, and memories.
My Approach to Art and the Visual World
I love a big nose - always have, always will. I love earlobes that are droopy from wearing earrings for decades. I love mischievous glints in eyes. I love gnarled hands and humped backs and big, laughing mouths. I love wrinkled noses and lips creased from a lifetime of smoking. I love funny gaps in teeth and dimpled chins. I love soft jawlines and unruly eyebrows. I love the things that I look at that remind me of the people I love.
My goal is to create physical renditions of memories. I want to honor the bodies and faces of those held dear - I have no intention nor desire to "fix" a subject's appearance. I feel that for me to edit the bodies of those I'm portraying, I would be saying "you would be worthy of being the subject of art if you looked less like yourself." I fundamentally believe that all shapes are worthy of love, whether it be by friends, family, partners, pets, or even just oneself. I want to create a memento where your first feeling is one of love for the subject.
Let’s Make Something You’ll Love!
Reach out to me if you have a project in mind. We can go over what is special to you, how best to capture that, and what kind of timeline is required. I suggest having a few photo references for any ideas you have - sometimes a photo is brilliant because it's a photo and that same magical feeling wouldn't translate into a direct painting. I can help you figure out which photos would be good references and what kind of projects we can make from them!
What Clients are Saying!
“It is not always a given, when you receive a painting of a loved one, that their spirit and essence shine through. The painting Rachel created of Prestur, my best friend for 17 years, is a wonderful re-creation of a photograph I took of him in an Icelandic lava cave, when we were both younger. There is such energy in Rachel’s brush strokes which gives the painting more life than the photograph ever did. Without ever having been there, Rachel depicts the lava boulders and the Icelandic moss perfectly. This piece is as comforting as anything I could ever dream of. It’s more than a painting — it is a tool of healing. Through it, I can salute my friend. And somehow, thanks to the brush strokes, he seems to salute back.”
Halldór Kristínarson
"I’ve known Rachel for over a decade, and her warmth and genuine kindness are matched only by her extraordinary artistic talent. What sets her apart is her ability to find and capture the true essence of her subject in every piece. Her work isn’t just beautiful, it’s deeply thoughtful and intentional. If you’re considering commissioning an art piece, don’t hesitate. I’ve loved every creation (including the doodles from college), and I can’t recommend her highly enough."
Carlos Hernandez, “Friend turned Fan”
"Rachel’s artwork brings visceral joy to not only myself but to everyone whose eyes land on her artwork proudly displayed in my apartment. She has also custom designed my holiday cards two years in a row and has brought delight to all of the recipients. My favorite piece of all the artwork she’s done for me — an Amy Winehouse painting, sketches of myself, customer recipe cards, etc. — is the memorial piece she did in honor of my kitty Korey. Her artwork makes it feel like he is still alive with me every time I walk past the framed masterpiece. It brought me comfort and peace as I navigated his loss, and for that I’ll forever be grateful to Rachel and her craft.”
McKayla Haldorson
Recent Projects
The Profile Project series @ LA FONDA DEL BOSQUE
(Albuquerque, NM)
Pencil sketches of 100 people’s profiles from Bernalillo County (and surrounding parts of New Mexico)
