Pat's New Artwork

Pat’s Rooster is a heavily textured acrylic painting with decorative sides measuring 12 in. x 12 in.  The texture is built from magazine pages, paper pulp, and Light Modeling Paste.  This piece was commissioned by Pat Turner in Americus, Georgia.

I can honestly say that I have painted more roosters this [...]]]>

Pat's New Artwork

Pat’s Rooster is a heavily textured acrylic painting with decorative sides measuring 12 in. x 12 in.  The texture is built from magazine pages, paper pulp, and Light Modeling Paste.  This piece was commissioned by Pat Turner in Americus, Georgia.

I can honestly say that I have painted more roosters this year than I thought was possible!  SO me being me, I had to push the envelope with this guy.  Pat Turner has been one of the most inspiring and loving mentors in my life. She has always kept her inner child very happy while teaching and influencing countless students, family friends, and foster children.  She loves all things authentic and infused with love, so that is how I created Pat’s Rooster.

I infused this piece with all of the fun and love I possibly could reminding myself constantly not to take myself too seriously and to explore as much as I could.  I built up the texture on the bottom half of the piece with black and white photographs of women and their daughters embracing.  As I ripped the pages out and shredded them, I thought of Pat’s daughter Mattie and the love they shared.  I added paper pulp as the texture for the top portion of the background.  Playing with paper pulp reminds me of being a little kid and making homemade paper in arts & crafts class, so including it in this piece was a way to invite my inner child to play as well. I used bright vivid colors as is often characteristic of my work, and I also added playful decorative details on the edges of the 2″ gallery canvas.

Playful Decorative Sides

As with every piece of artwork I create for someone, I took into consideration Pat’s likes and her personality to create a piece specifically for her.  In the great scheme of things, Pat was again a mentor to me just by asking me to do a piece for her.  I was able to channel the “Patness” which has influenced my work in a very real and wonderful way.

Through various meditation practices, these articles encourage us to revisit and reconnect with our inner child at various ages in order to heal past wounds. These articles (which I have listed below) insist that many of us overlook the inner [...]]]>

I have come across several articles lately that talk about nurturing the inner child.

Through various meditation practices, these articles encourage us to revisit and reconnect with our inner child at various ages in order to heal past wounds. These articles (which I have listed below) insist that many of us overlook the inner child in ourselves, only to distance ourselves from who we were at certain points in our lives and the pain or needs that were not met. The psychologists suggest that becoming so removed from our distant selves can be harmful to our present selves.

Deliberating the Existence of My Inner Child

I found this all very interesting, and began to wonder if I was removed from my inner child, but I have to admit it. I am often the equivalent of a 4 year old child. Or a 7 year old or 11 or even 17 for that matter. I have always loved to entertain my inner-child. It keeps things exciting and fun. Upon further review of myself, I notice that much of my artwork is testimonial to nurturing my inner child.

I have recently finished 3 new pieces for the Heirloom Jewel Series.

The imagery is clearly child-like, and I have found that in addition to the imagery, I have fallen in love with the symbolism tbehind each of the animals I have depicted. This, too, is quite child-like and intuitive. So check out the images and the symbology and listen to what your inner child has to say about them.

The Octopus Jewel

The Octopus is an animal that holds very strong symbolism that is so extremely layered. A bottom-dwelling water creature, the octopus symbolizes emotion, intuition, and creativity that is also grounded. The fact that an octupus may loose a limb and regenerate that lost limb symbolizes self-healing, cycles, and regeneration. When an octupus is frightened it “inks” it’s predator clouding the water so that it may escape or it can even shed a limb to form a distraction. These are forms of creating an illusion for the sake of survival or self-preservation in the same way that people are often outwardly deceptive for the sake of survival.

The Dragonfly Jewel

A dragonfly is a magical symbol of agility in the face of change, especially changes having to do with deeper consciousness. A dragonfly can fly in any direction, but their wings are very sensitive to the smallest changes in the wind, thus they encourage us to heed the winds of change and not fight against it but work with the change. In addition, the Dragonfly is an animal of born of water and maturing to the air, thereby this beautiful creature is also symbolic of the passion and emotion of youth giving way to control and clarity in maturity.

The Sea Turtle Jewel

The Turtle is a special animal that takes the comfort of his shell with him on his travels. In this respect, the sea turtle is a symbol of protection, inner knowledge, and healing especially within the elemental water areas of emotion, intuition, and creativity. The sea turtle depends on water currents (tides of change) for fast-progression, but without the strong exterior currents, the turtle must courageously stick his neck out and patiently yet persistently progress on his own. Many Tribal Native American cultures believe that the continent arose on the back of a great turtle, and such they often referred to it as Turtle Island.

Articles about Nurturing the Inner Child:

Nurturing and Caring For Your Inner Child: How to Heal Emotionally and Master the Art of Self-love

Inner Child Focus, Work and Therapy from Elevated Therapy International in London.

Inner Child

The perfectly obvious answer to anyone that has ever known me – “Rachel, that is what you do.  That is who you are. You are an artist.” It seems as if it is the act of making art that defines [...]]]>

The Big Question flying around in my head lately -”Why do I make art?”

The perfectly obvious answer to anyone that has ever known me – “Rachel, that is what you do.  That is who you are. You are an artist.” It seems as if it is the act of making art that defines me as a person, and without that attribute I would not be the Rachel that I am. My family and friends agree, “Rachel and Art are like Peanut Butter and Jelly.”

But for me that does not answer the question – WHY? I have an ever present knack for questioning everything, especially my own motivations.  When the answer seems so simple to most people, I tend to delve deeper. What is this persistent driving force that will not allow me to stop creating? The truest answer is far less superficial than a personal definition and more an element of survival instinct.  Let me explain.

When I was three years old, I began having night-terrors, extreme nightmares that seem so real they often cause the dreamer to scream and fight in their sleep.  My Mama would try to calm me, but still asleep, my fears were difficult to calm. As I got older the night-terrors invaded the daylight. The best description I am able to forge is that of a massive deep dark hole residing in the pit of my stomach threatening to grow and swallow up any sense of happiness or contentment around it. Often it would grow so large that I couldn’t breathe, and a Panic Attack would prevail.

Genetically, I found in my early 20s, my hard wiring is crossed and I have what is called Panic Disorder. The best way to describe this chemical imbalance uses the balloon example. When a balloon pops and you are unprepared, your body panics.  You heart rate elevates and your breathing increases. Once you realize what has happened and that you aren’t in any present danger, you heart rate slows down and you begin to calm, maybe even laughing to ease the panic. For me the “balloon” can pop anytime – without a true external stimulus. The difference is my body doesn’t calm down right away, because it doesn’t know that everything is okay, so the panic increases and peaks.  A Panic Attack can last as long as 15 to 20 minutes, and it is a completely helpless feeling.

Experiential Jungle - Soul Painting Series by RM Cotton

I also started drawing at the age of three, and I have never really stopped.  There have been very brief interludes in my life where I neglected my creative instincts, and in these days or months my black hole would expand and threaten to swallow me. The act of creating has always tames that deep abyss, and I believe that when I create art, I am using a divine gift to commune with the creation aspect of divinity. Artists around the world will tell you they often “get lost” in creating their work. I feel this is a sort of “creative meditation” through a deeper level of consciousness.  I know I am able to tap into my inner spirit when making art. Throughout my life, making my art has always helped tame the beast within me.

Lately, something new has awakened in my spirit, and I feel very strongly that I am meant to siphon the tapped energy of divinity thought INTO my artwork. In order to embark on this rather difficult artistic journey, I have begun a series of paintings, entitled “Soul Paintings” to focus on this practice of inviting the divine into my work by modifying the levels of my consciousness through prayer and meditation.  I call these “Soul Paintings” because I believe that the love and light of God is alive in each of us, and through my work and attunement with my spirit and soul I may better use my artwork to honor Creation and possibly help others pacify the beast within.

While we have several design projects that have been transgressing, in December the [...]]]> Whewww!! Cotton Studios was very busy the month of December.  With all of the holiday madness and then beginning of the year catch-up game, it has been a madhouse!  I am now sitting down to keep you all up to date.

While we have several design projects that have been transgressing, in December the Commissioned Paintings took the lead with the Custom Greeting Card Design taking a close second.  Below, I will highlight December’s design fun!

Bootney

Mr. Clint Ledger acquired a painting for his beautiful wife Lorrie, featuring her beloved cat Bootney.  Man, now that is one wonderful husband!

“Bootney”
16″ x 20″ acrylic on canvas

House Portrait

Mrs. Paula Martin commissioned a painting for her husband depciting his childhood home.
Unfortunately the picture I got of this piece of work was TERRIBLE!  But no worries… I’ll get a photograph soon.

18″ x 10″ Mixed Media

Andrew Thayer

Mr. & Mrs. Jason Thayer welcomed their new baby boy, Andrew Thayer to the world earlier this month.  Mrs Ashley Thayer planned ahead, and asked if I would do a painting for the baby’s nursery.  With the colors and bedding already chosen, I made sure to get a sample of the bedroom colors.  The bedding can be found at Pottery Barn kids and the new artwork is on little Drew’s walls.

3 – 18″ x 20″ Acrylic on Canvas

The Hulsey’s Christmas Card

Mrs. Christy Griner Hulsey took the sweetest picture of her little chica-dee at Halloween, and when Christmas rolled around it was just too good not to see the photograph again.  This time we tweaked it to go along with Christy’s headline.  In case you aren’t in the know, Christy is a fabulous writer.  Check out her blog at http://christyhulsey.wordpress.com.

Digital Collage

Alchemy Virtual Solutions Christmas Card

Alchemy Virtual Solutions is based in Savannah, Georgia.  The owner Melissa Silva is one up and coming entrepreneur in the area.  Alchemy exists for people like me that can run our business, but we sometimes need a little help in those pesky areas like bookkeeping, call centers, personal assistance, event planning, and so much more.  Check them out at http://alchemysavannah.com.

Illustration and Design

The new series I am focusing on lately is scenes of the Savannah area.  I love the architecture of Savannah, and [...]]]> As a treat for anyone interested, but more so as a way to inspire me to keep painting, I am posting regular visual updates of the paintings on which I am currently working.

The new series I am focusing on lately is scenes of the Savannah area.  I love the architecture of Savannah, and the detail work is amazing.  So in my ever wonky, colorful upbeat way, I am recreating places and details for this new series.

So, the first in the series is 440 Bull – at least I am pretty sure it is Bull Street.

Here are the photos from sketches to where I am now on the painting.

From Photo to Composition

Sketch on Canvas

Under Painting and Brick work