Out of many, one. Employing ancient, Huichol beading techniques, Rachel paints with glass beads to express the beauty and depth of a close-up view of natural and human made subjects. Whether creating a pattern found on the petals of a flower, giving voice to the repeating texture of ripping water, or detailing a much loved textile print, each work presents the challenge of creating a cohesive composition out of many tiny pieces.

Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity. ~Terri Guillemets

“The state of female artists is very good. But the very definition of art has been biased in that “art” was what men did in a European tradition and “crafts” were what women and natives did. But actually it’s all the same”. ~ Gloria Steinem

“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way... things I had no words for.”
~ Georgia O'Keeffe

Aerodynamically, the bumblee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumblebee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway. ~Mary Kay Ash

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”
~ Rachel Carson

“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world but then I thought there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do. I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there and read this and know that, yes, it's true I'm here, and I'm just as strange as you.”
- Frida Kahlo

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
~ Marcel Proust

“Hands are unbearably beautiful. They hold on to things. They let things go.”
~ Mary Ruefle

“I survived, carried on, glad to be like a weed, a wild red poppy, rooted in life.”
~ Marilyn Buck

Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.
~ Shel Silverstein

“I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees, and I felt like I was in heaven.”
~ Harriet Tubman

“Don’t think for one second you can’t be anything you want to be— a warrior, a goddess, a queen-bee.”
~Melody Lee

When I think of heaven
Deliver me in a black-winged bird
I think of flying down into a sea of pens and feathers
And all other instruments of faith and sex and God
In the belly of a black-winged bird
~Counting Crows "Rain King"

SOLO SHOW

February 3 - 27, 2021

Gallery Location and Hours:

Multnomah Arts Center
7688 SW Capitol Highway
Portland, OR 97219
Monday - Friday: 9:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

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Artist's Statement

I have long held the belief that little things often have the greatest impact.
I have pursued many artistic endeavors throughout my lifetime. However, it wasn’t until I purchased a Huichol style beading kit that I knew I had found my chosen medium. A consistent theme in my art is the representation of pattern and texture. Putting tiny beads together to show the intricate nature of a subject continues to be an inspiration and challenge for me. Whether creating a pattern found on the petals of a flower, giving voice to the repeating pattern of rippling water or detailing a much loved textile print, I am drawn to the challenge of creating a cohesive artwork out of many tiny pieces. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I finish a piece and know I created it out of thousands of tiny beads, for it is when a subject successfully communicates the definition of gestalt: an organized whole perceived as more than the sum of its parts, I know my piece is complete.

"These pieces are beautifully created and reflect a spirit of gentleness."

Barbara Barnett

"Beautiful artwork! My commissioned peice came fast and with the utmost love and care put into each bead. Highly recommend for a unique one of a kind gift for a loved one or yourself!"

Amy Simon

"These pieces of artistry are jut that. Artistry! I find them inspirational, serene and beautiful! I wish the artist well so that more and more can enjoy and appreciate her work."

SOLO SHOW

Artist's Statement

Barbara Barnett

Amy Simon

Jan Gottberg