about rachel
I live in the seaside town of Scarborough, on the beautiful North Yorkshire coast with my daughter Grace and our adorable if rather neurotic dog, Skye!
Sea-swimming, the outdoors, long dog walks and a life-long interest and love of nature are part and parcel of who I am and the art I make. Community, friendships, and making the world a little happier and more beautiful are very important to me.
How I got here
I originally did a Fine Art degree (painting and printmaking) at Wimbledon School of Art, and I’m still exploring ideas I had then– particularly around natural form, transparency and translucency, reflections and layering of imagery.
Given my interests, glass seemed like a natural material for me to use and in 2009 I completed a Masters Degree in Glass at the University of Sunderland, graduating with a Distinction. I’ve since completed my PhD research in Architectural Glass, achieved through an AHRC funded studentship.
Over the years, I’ve worked in the arts sector as a curator, youth arts festival director, technician and workshop leader. I have worked full-time as an artist for almost 18 years.
You can find me making work in my glass studio on the North Yorkshire coast or at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland.
As well as producing glass in-house, I have excellent contacts with other fabrication specialists, allowing a full ‘from concept-to-completion’ service.
I often collaborate with artists from other disciplines, and am enthusiastic about the collaborative process, which allows a broad range of exciting possibilities. I have worked with designers, film-makers and fine-artists on previous projects.
I also have expertise and a wealth of experience in leading workshops with the community and in undertaking large scale art project management..