Artist / Printmaker
Etchings and Silkscreens

Career Background

After obtaining a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design at Falmouth School of Art, Rachael studied for three years at Brighton University and was awarded a B.A. (Hons) in Visual and Performing Arts. She then spent a further two years completing an M.A. in Fine Art Printmaking in 1992.

Artistic Career

1990                  TAPESTRY STUDIOS OF AUSTRALIA, MELBOURNE Weaving                           large-scale tapestries, including work commissioned for Parliament                           House, Canberra.

1993                  BETHANIEN KUNSTLERHAUS, BERLIN Four months in                          residence in large print studio in Berlin, making etchings and                          silkscreens.

1993 - 95          TREVOR PRICE STUDIOS, ST. IVES Worked alongside Trevor                          Price professionally editioning his etchings and producing new work                          of my own.

1996 – 97          WILHELMINA BARNS-GRAHAM PROJECT Was approached                          by WBG to work with her one to one on three large scale colour                          etchings as part of her “Scorpio” series. The making and                          editioning of the work took several months.

1997                  EXHIBITION AND WORKSHOPS IN THE PHILIPPINES                          Invited by The British Council to be main exhibitor in &                          co-curator of an exhibition of British Contemporary Printmaking                          in Manila. Whilst there, taught a series of workshops at The                          University of the Philippines.

1999 - 2002     STONEMAN GRAPHICS, CORNWALL Editioning in professional                         studio for artists such as Patrick Heron, Terry Frost, Ian                         MacKeever, Breon O'Casey.

1995 - present  PORTHMEOR PRINT WORKSHOP, ST. IVES Instrumental in                         the setting up of this large open-access studio. Help to run                         workshop and strongly involved in all new developments, including                         a varied educational programme.

2001 - 2006     LECTURER AT CORNWALL COLLEGE on the Foundation Degree                         & HND Fine Art courses. Teaching at various places, including the                         St. Ives School of Painting, Tate Gallery St. Ives, Penwith                         College, and the Newlyn Art Gallery.

2005/06/07    Mentor to Falmouth Art School BA and MA Graduates through an                         ongoing scheme run by Creative Skills and the Tate Gallery, St. Ives.

Working process

Etching for me lies somewhere between sculpture and painting. It can be a very physical medium, and I use and explore this sculptural quality in my work. I love the contradiction of altering the surface of the metal to create painterly marks on the paper. My imagery develops from a desire to explore something ambiguous; a sense of place, a perspective, an emotion, a colour. From these beginnings the piece becomes an adventure, not knowing until I finish where it’s going to end up.

My work is driven by a fascination for colour & I often spend weeks changing the relationship of colours slightly until I get it right, but what is unique about the etching process is that none of this struggle shows & the finished piece has a freshness & glow about it not possible to achieve in a painting. Ultimately I do it because it’s very exciting, especially with etching, there’s something magical about the moment you finally lift the image off the press & you’ve got it right.

Instrumental in the setting up of this large, open-access printmaking workshop. She oversees the running of the studio and is strongly involved in all new developments, including a varied educational programme, as well as producing her own work which she supplies to galleries throughout England.

She also teaches at various places, including the St. Ives School of Painting, Tate Gallery St. Ives, and the Newlyn Art Gallery.