Rebecca is an artist from the North-West of England who trained in Blackburn and Kingston Upon Thames. Preferring to use traditional mediums such as paint and graphite, her work has themes that centre around life, its fragility and beauty and she has a strong interest in animal portraiture and the portrayal of endangered species.
She has exhibited work in the UK- including as a Sketch for Survival Finalist in 2022 and as part of Exhibition Wildlife Art in 2023 and regularly exhibits with the Association of Animal Artists, of which she is a member. She has also had work included in juried International art competitions/ exhibitions online- most recently being awarded a Special Merit in Art & Color 365 Magazine’s 2024 Animal Art competition. Rebecca often uses her art to contribute towards the things that she cares deeply about and this includes wildlife conservation, with her art contributing towards initiatives such as Art for Rhinos and as part of the impactful Sketch for Survival auction.
Artist Statement
Although my work has a strong basis in realism, I often use intuitive means and techniques when making art. For example- paint spatters, drips, rubbing away and using tools other than brushes to apply paint. These varied techniques help increase my connection to the subject. I particularly enjoy the versatility of painting and graphite mediums, with my recent works being created predominantly in acrylics or pencil and I often choose to work on paper which has a notable feeling of accessibility.
I have a special interest in the animals gaze, and much of my work is closely cropped- you can see a level of detail- in the hope of evoking a feeling of intimacy with the subject and giving the viewer a reason to pause and study. I’m particularly fascinated with how the gaze draws people into the work and how it makes them feel. I hope that my portrayals help the viewer to forge an emotional connection to the subject by using the gaze to invite the viewer into an environment in which they would not usually participate and where such intimacy is rarely possible.
Since much of my work is based upon the portrayal of endangered species, this makes sense to me because if people care about something, then they are more likely to want to take action to do something about it and I have experienced firsthand the power that art has to inform an individual, perhaps changing their perception and inspiring them into action.