Biography:
Rachel is a Lancashire-born artist, known for her energetic seascape paintings as well as her landscape and figurative works. She is a member of The Pastel Society, Manchester Academy of Fine Arts, The Small Paintings Group and is an Associate Member of The Society of Women Artists.
Her weather filled seascapes, portray the relationship between the land, sea and the forces of nature, closely mirroring the way in which the land and weather can shape our emotions, hopes and aspirations as human beings. Her work is textured, magnetic and atmospheric.
Her own story starts in Rochdale, Lancashire, where as a child her deep affection for drawing led her to be regularly scolded by teachers for drawing in her text books. She studied History of Art at Manchester College of Art before developing a successful office based career within the heart of vibrant Soho. Eventually, she left her corporate life behind and began painting full-time.
Rachel is better recognised for her sea and landscapes but also paints more figurative melancholic works, still life interpretations and portraits, all of which she tries to capture the fundamental soul and substance of each subject. Several of her pastel drawings and oil paintings have been selected for The Pastel Society, the RBA (Royal Society of British Artists), The SWA (Society of Women Artists), The NEAC (New English Art Club) and The ING Discerning Eye. “I like to paint everyday life situations, the mundane even, such as a sorrowful man, a girl in a cafe or some flowers past their sell by date”, Rachel Says. Collectors describe Arif’s works (her figurative work in particular) to have an almost antique/vintage feel to them, as though painted in a past era, yet still retaining a contemporary feel.
Rachels work has been exhibited at Mall Galleries in London on several occasions and her work is featured in several Interior Design Publications, Lifestyle Edits, Corporate and Hotel Collections including The Hyatt. She exhibits mainly in the UK but has collectors world-wide. She is also an avid animal lover and has donated several works to animal charities, endangered species, conservation and at-risk wild space initiatives.
In her studio, she surrounds herself with naturally found objects such as wild flowers, dried lavender, old fishing nets and driftwood. She collects old photos of people and places, each of which have an emotional connection and a story to tell. She uses some of these as inspiration for her drawings and paintings.
Method of Working:
Method of working is very much intuitive and fast paced. I mostly use soft oil pastels, generally Sennelier as I like their consistency which allows me to blend them and create texture and an impasto effect. I also use a little bit of linseed oil with an earthy colour, usually a mid brown to create an initial wash, this allows me to then blend the painting as I go along and makes it easier to move quickly over the surface. I prefer to paint Coastal and Landscapes and have a love of Suffolk in particular, especially Aldeburgh, Southwold and Walberswick. I like to also paint the Lancashire Moorland where I grew up and the surrounding farms and old houses. I tend to create atmospheric works which evoke a sense of a place rather than it being very obvious. I also enjoy Still Life and more figurative paintings which I try to keep relatively simple yet interesting and unique.
Society Memberships:
The Pastel Society
Associate Member of The Society of Women Artists
Manchester Academy of Fine Arts
The Small Paintings Group
Exhibitions:
2026 Two works selected for the RBA at Mall Galleries
2026 Group Summer Exhibition at Thompsons Gallery, Aldeburgh
2026 SWA (Society of Women Artists) Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries
2026 Two works selected for The Pastel Society at Mall Galleries
2025 Group Exhibition Velarde Gallery
2025 Three works selected as part of the SWA (Society of Women Artists) at Mall Galleries
2025 Group exhibition at Linden Hall along with the SPG (Small Paintings Group)
2025 Painting part of the LHS Collection 2025 (A rolling collection of Modern British Paintings, Print and Sculpture until Nov 25)
2025 Artist demonstration and Q and A for the RBA at Mall Galleries for International Women’s Day
2025 Two works selected for The Society of Women Artists annual exhibition at Mall Galleries.
2025 Winner of The Royal Society of British Artists Presidents Award for Red Lumb Farm House
2025 Two works selected for the Royal Society of British Artists annual exhibition at Mall Galleries
2025 Group Landscape exhibition at Saul Hay Gallery Manchester
2024 Three works selected for The Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition
2024 Artsist interview for Behind the Artist Mag
2024 Four Postcards donated to Art on a Postcard Charity Auction, Hepatitis C
2024 A painting donated to Sketch for Survival Charity Auction, Animals and Conservation
2024 Two works selected for the Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition
2024 Two works selected for The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries
2023 Five paintings selected for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition Nov 2023
2023 Selected Group Exhibition, Winter, Russell Gallery
2023 ING Discerning Eye Five Day Artist Takeover
2023 The Meditation of Drawing. Members Exhibition at Manchester Cathedral, dry media drawings
2023 Summer Exhibitions along with MAFA at Dean Clough Gallery Halifax
2023 Two works selected for The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2023
2023 Work selected for the Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2023
2023 Artist Talk for The ING Discerning Eye
2023 Work selected for The Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2023
2022 Work selected for the ING Discerning Eye Exhibition
2022 Two works selected for the SWA (Society of Women Artists) Annual Exhibition
2022 Work selected for The NEAC (New English Art Club) Annual Exhibition
2022 Summer Exhibition at Thompsons Gallery Aldeburgh
2022 Two works selected for The Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition
2022 Two works selected for The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition
2021 Exhibition at OXO London for Sketch for Survival initiative
2021 Two works donated to Sketch for Survival auction
2021 “All The Best” group exhibition with MAFA at Dean Clough
2021 Two paintings selected for The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition
2021 Selected as associate member of MAFA (Manchester Academy of Fine Arts)
2021 Restless Coast Exhibition at Gallery East Woodbridge
2021 RBA (Royal Society of British Artists) Two Selected Works Mall Galleries
2021 Three artist exhibition “Land, Sea and Sky at John Noott Gallery Cotswolds
2020/2021 Winter Exhibition at M1 Fine Art
2020 Christmas Exhibition at Wykeham Gallery
2020 The Autumn Hampshire Art Fair at Nadia Waterfield Fine Art
2020 Rye Art Gallery Turner Inspired
2020 Rye Art Gallery Seascapes
2020 Wyekham Gallery Summer Exhibition
2020 Thompsons Marylebone Summer Landscapes
2020 M1 Fine Art Landscape Exhibition
2020 M1 Fine Art Virtual Summer Exhibition
2020 Mall Galleries Curators Choice Online Exhibition
2020 M1 Fine Art Women in Art Spring Exhibition
2020 RBA (Royal Society of British Artists) Selected Works Mall Galleries
2019 Cambridge Contemporary Summer Show
2018 RBA (Royal Society of British Artists) Selected Works Mall Galleries
2018 Solo Exhibition at The Gallery Snape Maltings
2018 Talented Art Fair, Old Truman Brewery
2017 Art in Mind Exhibition, Brick Lane, London
Awards:
The Royal Society of British Artists Presidents Award
Painter Stainer
Jackson’s.
Editorials:
EDITORIALS
2025 The Artist and Leisure Painter interview, publication May 25
2025 Rochdale Online interview
2024 Mall Galleries/RBA interview for National Women’s Day
2023 Manchester Arts Online Q and A
2022 LivingEtc Edit
2022 Meet the Artist, Art on a Postcard Q&A
2021 Inside Kent Interview/Feature
2021 Coast Magazine Feature
2021 Enki Design and Architecture Magazine Feature
2020 The Hastings Independent Press
2020 Inside Kent Interview/Feature
2020 The Love Place Interview/Feature
2020 Artsper Online Exhibition Feature/Edit
2020 M1 Fine Studio Stories Art Lockdown Diaries/In Isolation Video
2020 Singulart Paris Edit
2019 Inside Kent Feature/Interview
2019 Mall Galleries Constable Country Edit
2018 Norfolk Suffolk Feature
2018 Visit Chislehurst Feature
2018 Harper’s Bazaar, Town and Country Feature – Online
2018 Destig International Art and Design Magazine Feature
2017 Suffolk Resident Feature
2017 Kent Life Magazine Feature
2017 Inside Kent Magazine Feature
2017 The Resident London Magazine Editorial
