Humans are bound by time. We are not able to truly revisit and experience the past. Nor can an individual view the past and present simultaneously. If one could see the remnants of the past fade as the present took place, how would this be composed? In response, I have created an imaginary experience with butterfly wings. Within the same theme, I have also experimented with the movement of human bone joints and the life-cycle of flowers. Please visit my website, RachelSteely.com, in order to investigate these similar works.

“Through painting and drawing, I attempt to create subtle metaphors layer by layer in order that I might achieve a greater understanding of the natural world.”

My motivation to paint comes from my love for the beauty, communication, and metaphors of the natural world. I am attracted to realism and experiment with the bridge that connects realism to abstraction. Every component of an artwork, both at the physical and content level, can contribute to the success of an art piece. I enjoy applying intellectual and aesthetic ideas to my visual journey that I gather from reading and contemplation. One of my goals is to create art works that can portray something new with each encounter. I am interested in work that goes beyond surface beauty, or lack thereof, and which holds a deeper message of life, death, or experience.