Rachel Wilcox

“Traditional painting methods and representational subject matter may be at the core of my artistic process but it is the act of painting itself that I find most inspiring.  I am continuously reevaluating my understanding of how to communicate with paint.  It is one thing to try and convey light and form, but what about time? And how do you explain movement or memory?  How does mark making describe a sense of place?

Painting is also a way for me to explore the complexity of the visual world.  The sliding scale between realism and abstraction is a wide one and as a painter I have an endless opportunity to explore the nuances of even one mundane visual moment. As a general rule, I seem to be attracted to visual chaos.  I seek to control it. I find ways to compartmentalize and organize the complicated.  My mind seeks out the patterns, whether they be in nature or in the man made world, and I find comfort in creating some kind of order.  Patterns of form and of movement, of light and of shadow are the engines behind my work.  This is what drives my creative process but painting itself is always the point.”

Born and raised in Haverhill, MA, Rachel Wilcox graduated from The Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration. She currently paints out of her studio on the Massachusetts North Shore, which is also a wonderful napping spot for her sidekick and best friend, Elsa, the beagle. Follow along on Instagram to see their daily adventures and most current work.