Rachel Gillen

My artwork is a reflection of how I feel about my life and the experiences that have shaped it thus far. It is largely about the people who have come in and out of my life, the ones who are still around and the ones who aren't, and all the memories I've made and am still making. I strive for my work to be an honest interpretation of my day-to-day life.
My work is oil on canvas and varies largely in size and subject matter. I focus mostly on abstracting from realistic elements I am familiar with, using Photoshop as a tool for formulating my ideas into images that will serve as the basis for my paintings.

EDUCATION

BFA – painting, 2009, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California

AA – painting, 2004, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

AWARDS

2010

Studio Visit Magazine, 2010 Summer Edition

Artist Residency, Festival of Murals, Wayne County, Indiana

Artist's Grant, Vermont Studio Center Artist Residency

2009

Artist's Grant, Vermont Studio Center Artist Residency

Honorable Mention, The Year's Best Art, The Artist's Magazine

1st Place, Abstract Painting, Spring Show, Academy of Art University

2nd Place, Abstract Painting, Spring Show, Academy of Art University

Best Body of Work, Spring Show, Academy of Art University

Finalist, Myartscholarship: Undergraduate Competition, Myartspace

2008

Finalist, People and Figures Competition, International Artist Magazine

1st Place, Contemporary Painting, Spring Show, Academy of Art University

2nd Place, Landscape Painting, Spring Show, Academy of Art University

3rd Place, Contemporary Painting, Spring Show, Academy of Art University

2007

Honorable Mention, The Year's Best Art, The Artist's Magazine

2006

1st Place, Watercolor Painting, Spring Show, California W...