ABOUT
RACHEL
ARTIST
BIO
Rachel Bottomley is a contemporary British painter based in the Surrey countryside, UK. Her textural paintings celebrate the richness and joy of everyday life through observation, imagination and memories. Primarily self-taught, Rachel developed her practice through the Correspondence Course at Turps Art School, London. Rachel’s works are regularly exhibited in galleries across the UK, including Eastwood Fine Art, Art For Charity Collective and Amelia Maxwell Art Advisory. Upcoming exhibitions include group shows at Watts Gallery and Magpie Contemporary Art.
Rachel’s works are held in private collections internationally and in the UK, including the Royal Collection of the British Royal Family. Her paintings can also be found in public spaces such as Socca restaurant, Mayfair, and previously at Edward Bulmer, where she featured as a guest artist. Brand partnerships include Smythson and Sharland England, and her work has been featured in Sheerluxe, BBC Countryfile and Country Living, who described Rachel’s paintings as ‘a feast of colour and pattern’.
ARTIST
statement
My work invites viewers into a world of wonder and appreciation for the richness and joy of everyday life. Like a magpie, I’m drawn to colour and detail. I weave these elements into my paintings, filling them with collectibles and hidden treasures that bring comfort, nostalgia and curiosity. Each painting begins with a scene or object that makes me look again, like the weave of my grandmother’s Welsh blanket or the characteristic patterns on a handmade ceramic vase. It’s the stories and the people behind the designs that charm me. And of course, my love affair with flowers, that wink at me with their own individual personalities. I am always observing and adding to my colossal memory bank, which gets raided and reimagined in the studio. Piece by piece, I intuitively add to the puzzle of colour, pattern, and texture. Each component holds its own presence, but when placed in contrast with another, reveals something new and unseen. This layering and balancing of tension and harmony is at the heart of my process.
I love the way different media feels in my hands and lines are created with my whole body engaged. Working on a larger scale allows me to be free to release more energy onto the paper - moving with the fluidity of the objects to capture their spirit. Even the inanimate ones are alive to me. I savour the sensory experience of dusting pastels, gliding brushes, smearing oil sticks and dashing pencils into dynamic marks and intricate details. It’s immersive and I hope the viewer feels that sense of flow and connectedness to the hidden rhythms all around us.
STEP INTO RACHEL’S STUDIO…
