Rachel Young is a mosaic bead painter from Portland, Oregon. Using beads as other artists use paint, Rachel adheres beads to wood panels with the ancient Huichol practice of pressing glass beads into beeswax resin. Applying one bead at a time, Rachel creates intricate works of art by arranging thousands of tiny glass seed beads in intricate patterns. These contemporary, mixed-media, beaded mosaics feature anatomical, botanical, animal and celestial compositions, and are more similar to paintings than traditional mosaics.

 

A single piece of finished artwork may contain thousands to tens of thousands of glass beads. Rachel describes her artistic process as a creative, meditative experience exploring themes of healing, resilience, spirituality and triumph. She draws inspiration from her experience as a Registered Nurse for the last 16 years, her own healing journey from trauma, and her work as a creative coach with women in transition seeking to explore creativity as a powerful healing process.

 

"I have experienced profound healing through my artwork. In practice, it is both creation and meditation at the same time. Beading helps me quiet my mind and be present in the moment. Every bead serves a purpose, but it also works in harmony with thousands of other beads. On a larger scale, this has helped me to understand how all my experiences, from my most challenging traumas to my most rewarding ones, have contributed to my journey. As a result, life is more than a series of events, but an experience of grace through divine connection and spirit."