About the Artist > About Rachel

I have always had a passion for design that I have given outlet to with many different forms of media - watercolor, gouache and acrylic paints, graphite, colored pencil, pastel, ink, marker, sugarpaste and fabric as they apply to a variety of different art forms such as fine art, interior design, rendering, landscape design, sewing, confectionery, and doll customization.

My love of dolls started as a child with Barbie, but it wasn't until several years ago that my interest in dolls was renewed with the introduction of the Barbie Fashion Model Collection. My next discovery was the Tonner Tyler Wentworth line, and I immediately fell in love with the elegant dolls and their wonderfully detailed couture. At the end of 2003 I saw my first Sydney repaint in a magazine and knew that I would have to try it. In January of 2004 I did my first doll, a blonde Ready-to-Wear Sensational Sydney. She was far from perfect, but she sold on Ebay and I was encouraged to continue repainting fashion dolls.

As the doll world continues to grow, I continue to be able to branch out and work in fresh areas. My most passionate interest is now Asian ball jointed dolls. Exquisitely sculpted with a cutting edge aesthetic, and infinitely customizable, they are a perfect fit for my tastes. I find that that I am acquiring them for my personal collection at an alarming rate! I am now using an airbrush and it has opened up a new world of customizing to me.

Due to chronic wrist pain that seems to be brought on primarily by painting and re-rooting fashion dolls, I have stopped doing fashion doll repaints altogether. It is possible that you will occasionally see the rare “Bohemian Girl” on eBay if the muse takes me though.

I live on my family's third generation farm near Portland, Oregon with my husband Dan, four-year-old daughter Chloe, my Borzoi Galina, my cats Finn and Errol, Chloe's cat Tabby and 6 Araucana laying hens. I am currently on hiatus from school, but have Junior standing at Marylhurst University for my BA in Fine Arts, with a concentration in Painting.