Nature and Emotion Inspired Art from the Hawaiian Tropics
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Hala leaf - palm husk - ironwood needles - latex paint - acrylic ink on canvas
40 x 30 x 4 in
34 x 13 x 8 in
Palm sheath - bird of paradise plant (Strelitzia nicolai) - polyurethane - oil paint - spray paint - acrylic ink
Monstera Deliciosa leaf - wood sealant - latex paint on canvas, 30 x 15 in
Monstera deliciosa leaf - wood sealant - latex paint - ink on canvas 30 in x 40 in
Dried grass - latex paint on canvas 12 x 24 x 4 in
Dried grass - latex paint - ink on canvas 10 x 12 x 3 in
Palm husk - latex paint - ink on canvas 25 x 23 x 5 in
Palm tree husk - cheese cloth - latex paint - ink on canvas - 30 x 24 in
For sale through the Wailoa Center until 9.14.2023
Palm husk with partial limb - cheese cloth - latex paint 22 x 28 x 4 in
Whole Coconut - polyurethane - oil paint, 12 x 12 x 6 in
Exhibited in “In The Time of Climate Change” at the Wailoa Art Center, Hilo, Hawai’i - July 2023
Couture gown constructed with canvas, palm tree husk, fabric and latex paint
Photo Credit: Rhianna Mercier-Portilla
Palm husk fibers, cloth, latex paint on canvas 10 × 10 x 4 in
Oil paint & molding paste on paper, 20 X 24 in
I remember the first time I held the naturally woven fibers of palm tree bark—captivated by the geometry and quiet intelligence of the natural world. Plants and their lifecycles have always fascinated me. As a child growing up in Colorado, my favorite sensory experiences came from witnessing the transformation and decay of deciduous leaves in autumn, and crunching through the leaves. Today, my fascination has shifted to the vivid birth-to-death-to-birth cycles of the jungle in lower Puna, Hawai‘i.
During my morning jogs to the beach, I felt an irresistible pull to collect striking pieces of organic debris—nature’s cast-offs, rich with texture and story. In early 2022, my art practice reached a turning point. I began incorporating these found materials directly into my work. I let their shapes and textures guide me. I surrendered control, perfectionism, and overthinking. Instead, I allowed myself to feel, to observe and respond intuitively to the process. It was liberating. Each piece now carries the imprint of that moment, the memory of that experience.
Palm tree husk - latex paint - cheese cloth on canvas, 48 X 30 in
Triptych, Palm tree husk - latex paint - cheese cloth on canvas, 60 x 24 in each
Palm tree husk - latex paint - palm tree bark - cheese cloth on canvas, 44 x 20 in
Palm tree husk - latex paint - cheese cloth on canvas, 20 x 44 in
Palm tree husk -molding paste - acrylic paint - ink on canvas, 48 x 36 × 4 in
Mauna Loa, a sacred active volcano on the Island of Hawai’i, erupted on Lā Kūʻokoʻa (Hawaiian Independence Day), November 28th, 2022. The soft, misty violet background in this piece was inspired by the morning sun casting its light on the Mauna as seen from Chain of Crater’s Road in Volcanoes National Park. And, the other portion of this color palette is influenced by the dark rainbow iridescence of crystalized minerals of lava rock. The palm tree husk material creates textures resembling a type of basaltic lava that forms in ropey or smooth undulating masses called Pahoehoe. The thin hairlike fibers of the husk represent the strands of volcanic glass formed in vigorous lava fountains, known as Pele's Hair.
Palm tree husk - cheese cloth - latex paint on canvas, 30 x 24 in
This series was created in the thick of the global pandemic and lockdown of 2020. The movements that I observed and felt in nature became a mentor to keep my own body, mind and spirit moving. I learned how to allow my heart to completely surrender to the unknown.
2020, oil, 18 x 24 inches
2020, oil, 8 x 10 inches
2020, oil, 8” x 10”
2020, acrylic, 9 x 11.5 inches
2020, oil, 8 x 10 inches SOLD
(prints available)
2020, oil, 8 x 10 inches
2020, oil, 8 x 10 inches SOLD
(prints available)
Fabric & latex paint on canvas, 16 X 20 in
Fabric & latex paint on Wood Panel, 21 x 40 in
“Plasma can be defined as 1) the clear fluid of the blood that carries the blood cells, and 2) the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid and gas having both electric and magnetic qualities. Rachel romantically pretends that plasma is the misty prism created by waves breaking in the sunlight. Undulation is a word to describe a smooth rising and falling of movement or form. No matter how stuck we might feel in life, the rhythm of our literal life essence (our blood and vital energy) reminds us that we are innately kinetic.”
Cheese cloth & acrylic paint on canvas, 19 x 24 in
Abstract fiber paintings representing the mesh that bridges seen and unseen worlds.
Cheese cloth - spray paint - acrylic paint on canvas 30 x 40 in
Cheese cloth & latex paint on canvas 30 x 11 in
Cheese cloth & latex paint on canvas, 23 x 11 in
Cheese cloth & latex paint on canvas, 30 x 11 in
Single line sketches are an avenue for me to capture the essence of a person or an object, without tripping over perfections and just allowing the line to live. I love to focus my line studies on the human body to visually enunciate mood and personality.
Shaping, 2021
Latitude, 2020
iFone, 2020
Slumber, 2020
Allay, 2020
Flank, 2020
Wanderlust, 2020
Pull, 2020
Seen, 2021
Untitled, 2021
SOLD, 30” x 30” Canvas, 2021
This painting was made without a paintbrush. Materials used: silicon wedge, molding paste and acrylic paint.
