Rachel Illingworth
Literary Arts; Multi Arts; Performing Arts: Actor/Actress, Radio/Television, Spoken Word, Theatre; Visual Arts: Mixed Media, Murals, Painting, Works on paper
One of my first memories is of sitting at my grandma’s coffee table with paper and crayons and learning about perspective from Bob Ross on the television. I specifically remember him painting railroad tracks disappearing into the horizon line.Of course, being a youthful five-year-old at the time, I didn’t quite understand what“horizon” or “perspective” meant. But after that afternoon drawing lesson, I knew I wanted to be an artist when I grew up.My parents supported my dreams by allowing me to take art lessons through elementary and high school. I won blue and red ribbons through the CYO talent fairs. Eventually, I felt confident enough to participate in the art contest at the State Fair, where I received an honorable mention for my work.But soon after starting college, I decided that I wanted to pursue a different form of art—acting. I studied acting both at Ball State, London, and Oxford. I moved out to Los Angeles where I was lucky enough to be a part of many different well-known and loved television and film productions. And after living the Cali life for eight years, I found myself still wanting more.In 2011, I made the decision to move back to Indianapolis to be closer to my family. That's when I started painting again. I painted to heal and feel whole again. And at the prodding of friends and family, I’ve begun a professional art career. My passion is to create art that speaks to people.Though I enjoy working with every medium—from watercolors to oils—my current favorite medium is acrylics. My inspiration includes Gustav Klimt, Johannes Vermeer, Vincent Van Gogh, and Claude Monet.
