"Seasonal Shifts: The Art of Change and Continuity" is a series of paintings focusing on the beauty of spring and summer flowers. This work highlights the transitions between these seasons, showing the harmony between change and continuity in nature. Spring and summer flowers, with their bright colours and varied shapes, represent cycles of renewal and growth. Each bloom is a brief moment of beauty, but together, they tell a story of ongoing rhythms and transformations. Through my paintings, I aim to capture this balance, celebrating the fleeting charm of each flower while honouring the timeless cycle of the seasons.
I paint intuitively, taking inspiration from my time in the garden and drawing upon details stored in my imagination. The colours and compositions in my work are influenced by the movement of flowers, the juxtaposition of geometric patterns which highlight the intricacies of the flowers, and the changing palette of the garden. Rich and layered, my practice blends acrylic, ink, pigment sticks, pencil and both oil and chalk pastels to give rise to immersive art that pops off the page with each energetic, free-flowing line interrupting and interacting with the next. The interplay of colours and texture in my pieces mirrors the layers of life in a garden, where different elements come together to create a harmonious whole.
"Seasonal Shifts" invites viewers to think about their own experiences of change and continuity. The transition from spring to summer is marked by growth and abundance, but it also highlights the fleeting nature of each moment. My paintings aim to capture this balance, offering a visual reflection on the beauty and resilience found in both the transient and enduring aspects of life.
Through this series, I hope to encourage a deeper connection to the natural world and its cycles. By appreciating the vibrant yet temporary beauty of spring and summer flowers, we can find inspiration in the ongoing dance of change and continuity that shapes our lives.
About
Rachel Bottomley is a British contemporary painter based in the Surrey countryside. She paints freely, effortlessly and unstoppably, depicting scenes that ignite her imagination, be that botanicals in full bloom or comforting still life moments. The forms may change but her painting principles remain, giving her vibrant mark-making its signature strokes of exaggerated, curvaceous lines, immense decorative detailing and a sense of intuition over precision.
Look beyond the subject, and what gives Rachel’s work even greater depth are the details she draws upon that bring her scenes life. The intricate weave of a welsh blanket or playful patchwork quilting, handmade ceramics she’s collected over time, encaustic tiles from Lisbon, and the colourful masonry of homes she’s pottered past in Greece – these are all elements with which she decorates her artworks – a colossal memory bank of pattern and colour is raided with each and every painting.
A picture of a painting gives only a window into an artist’s hand. To understand the depth and immersive nature of Rachel’s work is to see it. Only then do you feel the whole process of her textured painting approach as though she is dusting a chalk pastel, squeezing and smearing oils, dancing her paintbrush and running her gooey pigment sticks – so vibrant and pure in colour – across the page in front of you. Her art is as tactile as her mixed media tools, and as immersive to view as it was for her to create, abundant in detail and in complete colour harmony.
Collected internationally, Rachel’s original art is seen and enjoyed everywhere from the private homes across America to that of The Royal Family as well as public spaces, such as Mayfair’s modern European restaurant, Socca. She is part of regular gallery exhibitions across the UK, collaborates with a select number of brands throughout the year and accepts personal commissions too.
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Press
2024
Blooming Brilliance: Exploring Nature’s Palette In ‘The Garden’ Exhibition, The House Magazine, March 3 2024.
2023
Emporium, Country Living June 2023.
Mother Nature Exhibition, Country File, March 2023.
Stylish Homeware Hits, SheerLuxe, June 30 2023.
CV
British
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022. Twinkle of Christmas Fair, Design Centre, Chelsea, London, December 2022
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024: Shifting Seasons, 812 Maplewood Fine Art Advisory, Online, August-September 2024. The Garden, Amelia Maxwell Art Advisory, Portobello Road, London, March 2024.
2023: A Chorus of Colour, Milieu Studios, St Ives, Cornwall, November 2023 - January 2024. Domenica Marland, 12 Porchester Place, London, November 2023. Spirit of Christmas Fair, Collaboration with 46 Stitch, Kensington Olympia, London, November 2023. Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, 94 Ebury St, London, October 2023. Domenica Marland, Kings Road, London, June 2023. Seren and Sharland England Pop Up, Kings Road, London, May 2023. Mother Nature, Amelia Maxwell Art Advisory, 230 Portobello Road, London, March 2023
2022: Style Your Spaces, 6A Howe Street, Edinburgh, November 2022. The Spaces Left for Dreaming, Amelia Maxwell Art Advisory, Online, October 2022. Mark of a Woman, Amelia Maxwell Art Advisory, 230 Portobello Road, London, March 2022.
2021: The Picture Gallery, The Curated Store, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, December 2021. The Picture Gallery, Albert Bridge Road, London, September 2021.