Rachel Bottomley is a British contemporary painter based in the Surrey countryside. She paints freely, effortlessly and unstoppably, depicting scenes that ignite her imagination, be that botanicals in full bloom or a never-ending landscape. The forms may change but her painting principles remain, giving her vibrant mark-making its signature strokes of exaggerated, curvaceous lines, immense decorative detailing and a sense of intuition over precision.

Look beyond the subject, and what gives Rachel’s work even greater depth are the details she draws upon that bring her scenes life. The intricate weave of a welsh blanket or playful patchwork quilting, handmade ceramics she’s collected over time, encaustic tiles from Lisbon, and the colourful masonry of homes she’s pottered past in Greece – these are all elements with which she decorates her artworks – a colossal memory bank of pattern and colour is raided with each and every painting. 

A picture of a painting gives only a window into an artist’s hand. To understand the depth and immersive nature of Rachel’s work is to see it. Only then do you feel the whole process of her textured painting approach as though she is dusting a chalk pastel, squeezing and smearing oils, and running her gooey pigment sticks – so vibrant and pure in colour – across the page in front of you. Her art is as tactile as her mixed media tools, and as immersive to view as it was for her to create, abundant in detail and in complete colour harmony. 

Collected internationally, Rachel’s original art is seen and enjoyed everywhere from the private homes across America to that of The Royal Family as well as public spaces, such as Mayfair’s modern European restaurant, Socca.  She is part of regular gallery exhibitions across the UK, collaborates with a select number of brands throughout the year and accepts personal commissions too.