Rising Stars: Meet Rachel Silva

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Silva.

Hi Rachel, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a visual artist currently working and living in LA. I have always pursued my own work alongside other jobs, most recently I worked in the animation industry for a few years (Bob’s Burgers and The Great North, among others), I left last year to pursue my own work full time. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road! Hahaha. Can I laugh in an interview? There was a time when my husband and I only had one car (which he took to work an hour away every day) and I sold my artwork on the street. We’ve moved around a bit, kept hustling and eventually, we scrounged up some work in animation which really saved our butts. We have since grown so much and the fact that I was able to leave my animation job to take a risk on myself is astounding to me and something I never take for granted. It’s hard work but it has always been worth it.

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?
I am probably most known for my colored pencil work. I am greatly influenced by intense colors, psychedelic thought, horror movies, and music. A lot of my work has overt tones of sex and violence. Most often I am working from an instinctual point of view, an image comes to me and I work out the meaning as I’m creating. I love to work with models, usually friends willing to be covered in flowers and blood, and I shoot my own reference. The photo shoots are one of my favorite parts of the process and I’m excited to weave that into the work even more in the future.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband deserves a lot of credit. He was always been my number one cheerleader and he puts in a lot of work! He helps me run my business, from scanning artwork to dropping off packages at the post office. I wouldn’t have been able to take this leap without him, and he encourages me every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rachelmsilva.com
• Instagram: missrachelsilva