Rachel Heal is a third-generation oil painter based in Philadelphia. She holds a BA in Studio Art from Goucher College and completed additional studies at Maryland Institute College of Art, Loyola University, The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and Temple University Japan.
Rachel's unending curiosity for the world and its people has motivated a life of travel and exploration. From the glaciers of Alaska to the mountains of Tibet, the memories of distant scenery are always a part of her paintings. Recent years have prompted more inward exploration and works of this period are less abstract, featuring beloved local trees and numerous self portraits.
"I have always made art, not knowing where it would lead me but never questioning its importance. Surrounded by a family of artists, I was encouraged and inspired to develop a creative habit from a young age. My growth as a person has been documented by my growth as a painter, and that is such a fascinating gift. My goal as an artist is to invent terrains that call the viewer inside and allow the mind to wander. I enjoy leaving glimpses of a painting's original sketch and developmental phases so its final state serves to chronicle its own creation.
As individuals, we each have our lens through which we view the world. The realm of art and fantasy is a place where we can meet and be together."