Rachel was born in Grantham, Lincolnshire but as a child moved often. The longest spent in one county, until moving to Norfolk, was Oxford for 8 years; even then yearly Romany caravan holidays to Wales kept alive her wanderlust. Travelling continued to be a passion throughout her teenage years and beyond. Rachel studied textile design at Art colleges in Great Yarmouth and West Yorkshire, before moving to London for a couple of years and then onto Barbados. It was in Barbados that she started to paint and exhibit on a regular basis, inspired by empty beaches and the thrill of climbing a new hill or mountain just to catch a glimpse of what’s on the other side. Rachel enjoys movement and pattern in nature, the changing seasons and light; she is influenced by new sights, sounds, tastes and colours. All of these experiences come alive in her paintings.
Rachel has exhibited regularly since 1989 and has work held in private collections in Barbados, Canada, America, Holland and South Africa. She has exhibited locally and in London and was the first woman to exhibit art in ‘The Palace of Westminster’. Rachel has taught oils to adults and children and continues to demonstrate oil painting. She is also a member of Eastern Contemporary Artists and an associate member of East Anglian Group of Marine Artists and is married to the painter Edward Bush.