Rachel is a Lancashire-born artist, known for her energetic seascape paintings as well as her landscape and figurative works. She is a member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Art and has more recently been elected associate member of the Society of Women Artists.

 

Her weather filled seascapes, portray the relationship between the land, sea and the forces of nature, closely mirroring the way in which the land and weather can shape our emotions, hopes and aspirations as human beings. Her work is textured, magnetic and atmospheric.

Her own story starts in Rochdale, Lancashire, where as a child her deep affection for drawing led her to be regularly scolded by teachers for drawing in her text books. She studied History of Art at Manchester College of Art before developing a successful office based career within the heart of vibrant Soho. Eventually, she left her corporate life behind and acquired a studio along The River Thames, where she still paints and draws today.

 

Rachel is known for her sea and landscapes but also paints more figurative melancholic works, still life interpretations and portraits, all of which she tries to capture the fundamental soul and substance of each subject. Several of her pastel drawings and oil paintings have been selected for The Pastel Society, the RBA (Royal Society of British Artists), The SWA (Society of Women Artists), The NEAC (New English Art Club) and The ING Discerning Eye. “I like to paint everyday life situations, the mundane even, such as a sorrowful man, a girl in a cafe or some flowers past their sell by date”, Rachel Says. Collectors describe Arif’s works (her figurative work in particular) to have an almost antique/vintage feel to them, as though painted in a past era, yet still retaining a contemporary feel.

 

Rachels work has been exhibited at Mall Galleries in London on several occasions and her work is featured in several Interior Design Publications, Lifestyle Edits, Corporate and Hotel Collections including The Hyatt. She exhibits mainly in the UK but has collectors world-wide. She is also an avid animal lover and has donated several works to animal charities, endangered species, conservation and at-risk wild space initiatives.

 

In her studio, she surrounds herself with naturally found objects such as wild flowers, dried lavender, old fishing nets and driftwood. She collects old photos of people and places, each of which have an emotional connection and a story to tell. She uses some of these as inspiration for her drawings and paintings.