About Rachel Herrera
Biography
I live for those moments when the first thing on my mind in the morning is getting to the easel to work on a painting. For me, creating art is a special type of meditation – an opportunity to actively engage in my environment and truly see the world. It is my intention to reinterpret what I see and create images that elicit a sensory emotion of familiarity and melancholy, much like a scent or song that reminds someone of a childhood friend.
I paint figures, still life and landscapes, using oil on linen in a classically trained manner to focus on light, form and edge. I enjoy painting figures that reflect our humanity and collective memories: waiting for a loved one to return, taking a journey, playing in the snow.
Through still life paintings, I endeavor to offer insight into a moment in time or tell a story about what collected objects mean to us and say about us. Landscapes are alluring and challenging, as it is almost impossible to recreate the subtleties and beauty of the outdoors.
My goal as a painter is to integrate this problem-solving methodology, making each painting technically "just right" while creating a narrative that is both mysterious and undeniably familiar.
