Rachel Heard - Artist

The works created for the Emergence exhibition came about in a very organic way, drawing on memories and more recent encounters with the landscape and natural habitats found in Wiltshire. 

I knew that I wanted to be inspired by the idea of emergence as it would harmonize with the season of the show. I think that this time of year always brings an awareness that a growth period is ahead, with feelings of hope and potential for change, a time when unseen, underground development starts to come to light, turning towards the sun.

I love taking walks in nature and have endeavoured to explore new parts of the Wiltshire countryside. Using an ordnance survey map and finding the public rights of way near where I live, I have discovered new places, not far from home, that have inspired my work.

I have tried to capture feelings of connection to place, as well as wonder in admiring the details of plant life and noticing signs of insect and animal life.

Stylistically the paintings of the exhibition are quite varied, which I have enjoyed, but I have still used one of my favourite techniques of pouring paint across the canvas in most of the works. I love how gravity moves the paint naturally, forming branches or rivulets of paint that represent organic pattern; water flowing through all things that have life.

Several of the works include insect trail motifs that are a reoccurring theme for me, for example bark beetle larvae tracks in wood and snail feeding trails. For me these are beautiful patterns that symbolize patience and perseverance as a crucial part of existence and survival.