March 30th, 2025

Four women drove away from St. Louis in two Subarus packed full, like they were never coming back. Each brought her best shoes, her loudest dresses, her items of importance. As they drove, they started to unfurl, changing gradually while the trees grew denser. By the time they arrived, they were unrecognizable. Their edges had blurred, and it became hard to tell the difference between skin and skein. In their state and in that place, they played and played, fabrics and patterns running together, tripping over each laugh. This dance drew on until the long shadows became one, and they became quiet. 

March 31st, 2025

One woman drove home

I am Rachel, but sometimes I find it more informative and effective to be someone else. Most of my practice is an exploration into characters. Some are short story characters written by authors, some are the characters that I have developed from the women in my life - friends, mentors, and family - and the sensationalized myths that I have created around them. I step into these characters and make work through their lens. In this way, the material, pattern, color, and composition all become glimpses into the fiction created between friends.