UK-based visual artist Rachel Tighe has gained international recognition for her work and attracted clients from all over the world. After graduating in 2008 with a degree from the University of Northampton, she spent several years honing her creative craft and building connections with galleries, before becoming an artist full-time in 2013.
Her expressive, fluid style expertly captures the vibrance and life of her subjects. Often conveying her ideas through abstract forms and colour, Rachel’s main sources of inspiration have been cityscapes and the natural environment. More recently she has enjoyed expressing herself more freely through abstract experimental works which are inspired by the movement and rhythm of music.
Working as an artist is not without its challenges and Rachel has had to learn how to manage painting alongside her business and administrative skills. She plans her schedule so as to free up days where she can immerse herself in her practice as artist.
Gallery closures and exhibition cancellations during the pandemic enabled Rachel to rethink her creative approach: “slowing down has given me a better balance and a new perspective on my creativity.” Previously she focused on creating work that was commercially appealing, whereas now she also finds time to focus on creating work that she loves. As a result, she gained commissions from new clients who have connected with her style. Rachel hopes to continue to be challenged artistically; as she moves forward in her career she is keen to push boundaries in terms of the size and scale of her work.
We talked with Rachel to find out more about her creative process, the artists who inspire her and the advice she would give to her younger self.
How did you first become interested in working as an artist?
I’ve aspired to be an artist since as long as I can remember. My dad even has video footage of him asking me what I wanted to do when I grow up and I said ‘painting’. After going to art college and university to study fine art, there really hasn’t been another serious option in my mind.
Tell us about your career path and how you got to where you are now.
I was lucky in that I had interest in my work at our university graduate show. Although I didn’t make any sales at that time it was clear that there was a commercial interest in my work. After returning home I spent four and a half years working part time in retail whilst continuing painting. I never worked fulltime because I knew I needed time to paint and so I lived at home and just kept painting and knocking on gallery doors until I got some representation. In 2013 I made the leap to be a fulltime artist.
How have you developed over your career so far?
I think I’ve grown massively during my career both as a businesswoman and as a person; I’ve had to learn to wear many different hats. When working for yourself you take on so many different roles and it has taken time and experience to get comfortable with that. I think that a negative incident with a gallery stealing money from me early on in my career hardened me and made me serious from the get go.
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
Being able to express myself is the best part about being an artist. The days that are purely for painting, working on ideas, progressing my skills and thoughts are the most enjoyable parts of my job. I never take for granted how lucky I am to do what I love most days. I have to say though I’m not a fan of admin and sorting days, but these things are part of the package and when I work from home doing admin I usually make pancakes for lunch, so it isn’t all bad!
In your experience, do you think there is equality and diversity across the creative industries today?
That’s a difficult question to answer for all creative industries. I can honestly say that in my experience I have never personally encountered any inequality in my career. The galleries who represent me are both owned and run by women and men who support and promote both sexes equally. The exhibitions and selections for art fairs have always looked fair to me but I guess on a broader spectrum there may not be enough diversity in the selections.
If you could go back to the beginning and start your career again what would tell your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to spend more time planning ahead than just a few weeks. It’s not been natural for me to plan, but as the years have gone by I’ve realised I could have achieved more if I’d actually spent a bit less time painting and more time structuring my weeks better. I’d also tell myself to be bold, experiment more and never be afraid to challenge something that doesn’t feel quite right.
A lot of people in the creative industries struggle with imposter syndrome and self-doubt. Have you experienced this and how do you deal with it?
I don’t deal with it I just dwell on it, haha! I think it’s something that won’t fully go away for me. Taking compliments about my work is hard as I always think that art is so subjective, so I always doubt my ability.
Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you approach a new project?
My inspiration has changed over the years. I used to be inspired predominantly by architecture and our natural surroundings, but the underlying subject matter for me has always been colour and form. At times I approached painting more from a commercial point of view, mixing what I wanted to paint with what I felt people would connect with. In recent years my work has separated into different subjects. Currently the abstracts in my studio have been motivated inspired by music and movement. Anything from the 80’s music of Peter Gabriel, the Cure, to jazz and blues music have stimulated different responses to colour and form in my work. This is where I’m having the most fun right now by truly expressing myself.
Could you tell us about your creative process when creating a piece and what materials you use?
The process depends on the subject. For cityscapes and floral pieces, I will start pencil sketching on paper; this is always the best way to plan a composition and flow with fast paced marks. It’s like warming up really. Then I use pens and inks to draw the image again until I’m used to the shapes and flow of the piece. Once I’m happy I’ll move onto photoshop to create the colour palettes and plan out what the picture will look like. Then I shift to canvas and acrylic paint. I use acrylic because I like to achieve an almost print like, flat and bold effect. My abstracts are more organic and involve just playing with the movement of paints and inks. There’s no drawing stage here – I just rely on the compositional ideas being led by the materials.
How do you balance creating commercial work to sell with producing work that you find creatively satisfying and meaningful?
I’ve found the balance between commercial work and more creatively satisfying work has changed since the pandemic started last year. After my commitments to galleries diminished due to store closures and cancelled art fairs, my time was freed up and I slowed down producing. This in turn allowed me to focus on painting whatever I wanted. Support from people connecting with my style and then commissioning a piece increased this past year. I find working one on one with a client to create something special very satisfying and having the time to experiment and express myself in other subject matters has been an eye opener for me. Overall, I think slowing down has given me a better balanced approach and a new perspective on my creativity.
Do you have a favourite artwork you’ve created and why is it important to you?
That’s a hard one, I think there’s two favourite works I’ve made and both are in our home. The first is a mural I painted onto our bedroom wall of a view of Paris from the top of the Pompidou Gallery which is a favourite of mine. It’s the first and only mural I’ve done and I’ll be so sad to part with it whenever we move house. It was the largest single painting I’ve ever made and it really challenged me to make it work in the space. The second piece was a painting I made during the lockdown for our kitchen; the only canvas painting that is mine and was painted for me. I am very happy when in the kitchen as I love to cook and bake. It is such a vibrant room and I wanted that energy to flow into some artwork for the wall too. Both the painting and the room bring me joy and it felt so great to paint something for myself that will always be mine and that brings me comfort.
Do you have any words of advice for women considering a career in art & design today?
My advice for a woman considering going down a creative path would be not to get side-tracked by thoughts of inequality or inadequacy and focus on what you can bring creatively. Focusing on your strengths, developing your own style, and not comparing yourself to others will give you the freedom to truly express your unique perspective.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I would hope to see myself still creating and still testing myself with new subject matters and disciplines. I would really like to upscale my work also as I feel most free when creating large pieces, so maybe the challenge of a wall mural! I hope to see myself in a more balanced position with more control of my brand as an artist.
Which women creatives have most inspired you?
Ooo the list for this would be endless but to name just a few females active currently that never fail to inspire me through their work, passion, and work ethic: Sofia Schizas, Rachel Mica Weiss, Aleksandra Zee, Meryl Pataky, Katy Jade Dobson, Mireia Ruiz…