Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Berkowitz.
Rachel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a practicing artist – a painter and photographer. I grew up in London, England and moved to Los Angeles ten years ago to attend art school at UCLA. As a kid, I was constantly exposed to art, as my academic parents would force me to go to weekly museum trips. After a while, I fell in love with art history and art of all forms. Music and theater have been a source of inspiration in my artistic ventures, and I believe that all artistic forms of expression are deeply connected.
After graduating from UCLA, I remained in Los Angeles where I now work as a painter, photographer and art teacher. I have had national and international solo art shows and I have taken part in artist residencies worldwide. I am extremely passionate when it comes to fine art, and I lead classes for adults once a month where I teach painting lessons to students of all abilities. My goal is to inspire others to create and I hope to touch people emotionally with my artwork. If my audience can connect with my work, then I feel complete.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As an artist supporting oneself with just their art, there are always going to be struggles. Some months will be better than others money-wise, and that’s okay. It took me a long time to understand that, as an artist, I am expected to invest my own money into projects before I see anything in return. I have been taken advantage of many times when agreeing to certain gigs. Make sure that you go with your gut and that you can fully trust the people you are working with or for. The worst feeling is to feel like your energy has been wasted or your creative talents have been stolen or non-compensated properly.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My recent practice concentrates on the spiritual elements associated with nature and how this plays with different states of the mind. Themes like child development and ADHD, as well as decision-making such as risk-taking, fate and chance are explored using natural landscapes as a primary creative resource. The work includes painting, printmaking and photography. My travels across US National Parks have been used as inspiration for my most recent paintings, placing a need on the heightened concern for conservation and preservation. Previously, I have exhibited in solo painting and photography shows, group Fine Art shows and at global artist events in Los Angeles, London and Japan.
With three more Artist residencies coming up in 2022, I have completed five international artist residencies over the last few years. Spanning from London to Chicago, my artist residencies range from the La Napoule Artist Foundation in France to the Slade School of Art London Summer Intensive in England to the Volcanoes of Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. I regularly teach painting classes to both adults and kids, 3-4 times a week, and have learnt the importance of being able to focus on a pleasant task where the mind is completely rid of digital screens; Any anxiety or sense of urgency one might experience while at work is completely dismissed during the painting process. I lead classes where I focus on incorporating nature into the artwork, allowing my students to enter into a similar void of meditative contemplation as they focus on representing natural elements.
I have been awarded first place in various International Fine Art competitions and have received numerous commissions from private homes to staging for Palm Springs Modernism Week to painting a mural for Bill Nye, The Science Guy’s new videos filmed at The Planetary Society in Pasadena. I was the resident artist at Zensai, an Art and Fashion streetwear store in Beverly Hills, where I customized clothing that featured my own artwork. I work closely with fashion and have also designed my own pair of custom Italian leather high-top shoes. They are up for purchase on my website.
I have self-published three complete Fine Art photography books and is currently working on my fourth. One of my most popular series titled, “Fairfax Royalty” was displayed for Gallery 1202 in the LA Art Show, February 2020, as well as in a London solo exhibition in 2017. My newest photography series, “Isolation Portraits” was displayed in the Hamptons Virtual Art Fair Summer 2020.
Most recently as a painter, I have made bodies of abstract artwork that enhance and compliment interior spaces. Inspired by natural landscapes and organic forms, these emotional abstracts act as a meditative guide to spark creative thinking, spiritual guidance and beams of positivity. I have combined the spiritual elements behind nature with symbols of fate and good luck, and have been focusing on concepts behind natural preservation, self-love and a healthy mental awareness. The work acts as an energetic transfer as if the paintings themselves are sigils; The intricacy of the forms contrasting with natural color selection allows for deep spiritual contemplation. I will be having a show of this new series in the coming year, and it is titled “Biophilic Harmonies”.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Please follow @artwithrachyb for all my art class info! I absolutely love sharing gifts of creativity to my wider community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rachelberkowitzart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelberkowitzart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rachelberkowitzart
