Rachael's Bio Nature is my muse. Opposing textures, the tilt of a head, or simply the way a jaw and neck join. These captured moments of nature and everyday life is what I strive to create. I am drawn to creating the animals I admire both personally and from afar. Different aspects of each animal enchant me. Most often I find, it is texture, mass and the relationship of environmental and animal, which triggers the creative impulse. I then pull from these resources, and create an object that captures the special essence of that particular animal. I pay a small amount of attention to the anatomy, and proportion, often exaggerating different aspects of each animal to form an abstracted finished product. The horse has continually been a reoccurring theme in my body of work. I started riding horses at a young age, and went on to compete at a national level in shows across the country. It is the outstanding brilliance, strength and sheer mass, which I am intrigued by most in these particular animals. I am constantly striving to capture the essence of what enchants me most about horses. Even when a horses standing still, one will notice the twitch of an ear, a flare of the nostrils or the ripple of the muscle to discourage a fly. It is this simple glimpse of the equine I am constantly trying to convey in each of my creations. Education: Graduated with Bachelors of Fine Art, Areas of emphasis: Metal Smithing-small sculpture, and Fine Art printmaking Murray State University, Murray Kentucky