Working from her home studio in the Surrey countryside, contemporary painter Rachel Bottomley creates richly layered works that honour the joy of everyday life. Through intuitive use of acrylics, oils, pastels and pencil, her expressive pieces blend observation with imagination, capturing the essence of a moment in bold colour and fluid form. A self-taught artist who refined her practice through Turps Art School, Rachel’s distinctive style has gained recognition in both private and public collections, from the British Royal Family to collaborations with brands like Smythson and Sharland England. Her work is at once vibrant and grounding, offering a painterly invitation to pause, look closer, and celebrate the stories that shape our daily lives.
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your artistic journey?
I am a contemporary painter based in South Surrey, working from my home studio surrounded by countryside. I live with my husband and two children, who are 7 and 5 years old. I am obsessed with colour, pattern and details. My wandering mind is often distracted by beautiful things which end up on my easel.
Growing up I always had a sketchbook on the go and loved anything creative. I didn’t go down the art route after school and trained to be a primary school teacher. I taught in schools for ten years until I had my children and it was then art found me again as I stepped away from teaching. Painting has been so important to me and given me headspace away from the challenges of parenthood. The immersive nature of my work allows me to be totally present and enter a different world becoming completely absorbed in my textured painting process.
2. What inspired you to pursue your craft? Was there a defining moment or influence that sparked your passion
There was definitely a defining moment. My journey as an artist took an exciting turn in June 2021 when I attended a liberating still life workshop with artist, Rose Electra Harris. My day with Rose opened my eyes to a new way of painting, allowing me to release my inhibitions and paint with my whole body engaged. Rose inspired me to paint exactly what I see and not what I think my painting should look like, as well as giving me the opportunity to engage with a range of media. She guided me into a place of freedom and total joy when painting.
Your craft
3. How would you describe your work in three words?
Joyful, energetic and layered
4. What materials or techniques do you use, and why are they important to your process?
I savour the sensory experience of dusting pastels, gliding brushes, smearing oil sticks and dashing pencils into dynamic marks and intricate details. It’s immersive and the tactile nature of working with different media is part of the joy for me.
5. Can you tell us about a favourite piece you’ve created and the story behind it?
‘The Candy Shop’ This was a big painting—a celebration of spring—featuring three shelves lined with vases of flowers. Do you remember that feeling of stepping into a sweet shop? The walls lined with jars and you can almost taste the sweets before you’ve even picked them, your little paper bag ready to be filled to the brim. My favourites were (and still are!) bubble gum cola bottles. That’s exactly how I feel about flowers and vases—the same thrill and joy. The flowers in vases represent my kind of candy shop.
For this piece, I chose spring flowers and arranged them in the order they bloom in the garden. The top shelf holds snowdrops and hellebores—the first signs that spring is on its way. Below them, daffodils take their turn, bright and bold. And finally, the main event: the tulips, dancing in full bloom, announcing that spring is here at last.
There was so much emotion behind this painting—the thrill of colour, the playfulness of mismatched vases, the promise of change. It holds the sweetness of new beginnings, the warmth of sunlight just around the corner. If this painting hung in my home, I know it would make me smile. It’s a reminder that no matter how long winter feels, spring will always come.
Creative process
6. What does a typical day in your studio or workshop look like?
I work in my home studio a stones throw from a national nature reserve in the Surrey countryside, surrounded by nature. I’m a mother of two small children, so my day is sandwiched with the school run. I am very grateful that I have a job which works so well around my family. My working day usually consists of painting commissions, work for exhibitions and completing admin tasks like packaging prints.
7. Do you have any unique rituals or habits that help you stay creative?
I go through phases of feeling creative and then not at all. I think over time I have got better at stepping away from the studio when I’m not feeling creative and accepting it, rather than trying to fight it. It always come back and when it does, I can often have bursts of doing lots of work in a short space of time. If I don’t have a choice, for example, if I’m working towards an exhibition and have to produce work, I will look through images I’ve collected over time from travelling and magazines and root through my collection of textiles.
8. How do you handle creative blocks? Do you have any strategies or tips for overcoming them?
Luckily, I have never had a big creative block but I have tried to prepare for when it does inevitably happen by getting the highly recommended book, ’The Artist’s Way’. I have started to read it and there are some interesting ideas in it; one is having a date with yourself every week to do anything you want, such as a walk, exploring an antiques shop or sitting in a garden.
Challenges and successes
9. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a maker, and how did you overcome it?
Juggling all the jobs that need doing: painting, packaging, shipping, website admin, sales, PR, social media… the list goes on! It’s tough to keep on top of everything, but I think there are pros and cons of every job in life, so it’s just part of it.
10. What’s been your proudest moment or achievement so far?
When I hear my children telling people I’m an artist and when they tell me they love my paintings and get excited about them. My proudest moment professionally was my joint show on Portobello Road with artist, Camilla Perkins, curated by Amelia Maxwell. I was really proud to be showing alongside Camilla and over the moon that so many paintings sold.
11. What’s your favourite quote you’ve ever heard about your work? Who said it, or what was the name of the publication?
“Layering mediums with abandon, Bottomley’s work is filled with dynamic energy, each stroke a testament to the joyous symphony of hues found in the natural world. With exaggerated lines and playful compositions, she transforms still life into vibrant flower paintings with movement and rhythm, inviting us to dance alongside her colourful brushstrokes.”
– The House Magazine
Inspiration
12. Where do you draw inspiration from for your work? What sparks your imagination and creativity?
Inspiration finds me! Each painting begins with a scene or object that makes me look again. My friends call me a magpie, drawn to colour and detail that I take back to my nest and make my own. I love to think of my paintings in that way, full of treasures and collectibles.
The subject of my work is often flowers, but what gives it greater depth are the details I draw upon to bring my scenes to life. The intricate weave of a welsh blanket or playful patchwork quilting, handmade ceramics I’ve collected over time, encaustic tiles from Lisbon, and the colourful masonry of homes I’ve pottered past in Greece – these are all elements with which I decorate my artworks – a colossal memory bank of pattern and colour is raided with each and every painting.
13. Do you have a favourite artist, maker, movement, or tradition that has influenced your craft?
I’m am very drawn to Milton Avery’s use colour, especially how he added occasional pops of accent colour. He didn’t follow rules, “I never have any rules to follow… I follow myself”. As well as Avery, Emily Powell’s practice has become an huge inspiration to me. In a workshop, she encouraged us to “paint like nobody is watching” and “let your paintings look after you”. With this in mind, I am striving to place greater emphasis on connection, emotion and following my intuition in my own practice.
14. How does colour influence your practice; is it an important part of your process? Do you have a particular palette or favourites? Any go-to sources for colour inspiration?
Colour is a huge influence from me, drawn from everyday life, travels and my imagination. Piece by piece, I intuitively add to the puzzle of colour, pattern, and texture. Each component holds its own presence, but when placed in contrast with another, reveals something new and unseen. This layering and balancing of tension and harmony is at the heart of my process.
Perspectives and goals
15. What role does your environment play in shaping your creativity?
Each painting begins with a moment, object, or scene, from nature or everyday life that captivates me. This spark ignites my imagination and motivates me to reimagine, reinterpret and create.
16. What do you want people to feel when they experience your work?
Comfort and joy initially. Those who look closer will be rewarded with hidden treasures.
17. What are you currently working on, and what excites you most about it?
I have recently been so lucky to travel to India and Marrakesh. I am currently absorbing myself in all the photos, letting my ideas simmer and then I’ll be creating work inspired by my trips.
Advice and reflection
18. What advice would you give to someone starting out as a maker?
To go with your gut and try to ignore the negative voice in your head. Also, try not to criticise your work whilst you’re still working on it, focusing on enjoying the journey it’s taking you on instead. I’ll let you know if I work out how to do either of these things!
19. If you could go back to the start of your career, what advice would you give your younger self?
The same as my last answer!
Closing thoughts
20. If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I think I’d actually like to collaboration with an interior designer or textile company as I’d love to design my own fabrics and wallpapers.
21. Where can people find your work, and how can they support you?
From my website you can access my available work directly from my studio and I also keep my website up to date with my gallery works, with links to take you to their website. I do also make work available through instagram and sometimes sell pieces on my stories. I have a newsletter that you can sign up to on my website and I make sure I let my subscribers know first about new work, prints and exhibitions.
Support Rachel by exploring her vivid, joy-filled portfolio online, discovering her original paintings and commissions, and following her evolving practice as she brings more colour, emotion and energy into the world through art.
Explore Rachel’s latest collection and follow her creative journey:
Support Rachel by exploring her expressive, joy-filled paintings, discovering vibrant works that blend observation with memory, and following her creative journey as she captures everyday life in colour, pattern, and intuitive mark-making.
