Rachel Carlson grew up in Deep River, CT—a quaint small town along the Connecticut River. In 2010, she began studying art at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and graduated in 2014 with a BFA in Studio Art and a discipline in painting.

 

Much of her work primarily draws inspiration from life experiences and self-exploration. Her work focuses on using ordinary scenes and recognizable objects to ignite buried emotions--bringing forth memories from a viewers past and having them reflect on themselves as a person in the present.

 

To develop these ideas further, Rachel uses various other art forms such as music, theatre, dance, and literature for inspiration. Her painting style draws influence from the works of Klimt, Sargent, Vermeer, and Andrew Wyeth as well as contemporaries, Michael Borremans, Brad Kunkle and Dina Brodsky.

 

Since graduating, Rachel has moved back to Deep River. She went on to become the gallery director for four years at the Maple and Main Gallery in Chester, CT until June 2018. She continues to produce work in her home studio and has been included in various exhibitions throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.