About
Rachel Davis is a mixed media artist, born and bred in New York City, and thrilled to call the San Francisco Bay Area home. In her portraiture celebrating women, figurative work exploring memory, and in Asian inspired abstraction, Davis’s work invites the viewer to search beneath richly layered and textured surfaces. She is also pulled to beauty for it’s own sake, and to pure play and abandon. The freedom to move back and forth between mediums and moods is central to keeping joy at the helm of her creative process.
Davis’s work has been juried into shows nationally and internationally, into the de Young Open exhibition, twice, the Salon at the Triton Museum, and is in collections across the United States, in Europe, the Middle East and Australia.
Davis is a retired psychologist, having worked with private practice clients as Ruth Davis Kalb, until her retirement at the end of 2022.
From her studio at ICB ART in historic Sausalito, CA, Davis conducts studio visits as well as ZOOM visits. Contact her directly to learn more: rachel@racheldavisstudio.com 415.225.3159
Photo: Margot Hartford
ARTIST STATEMENT:
“There’s a difference between emptiness and space.” - Yoshi Hollis, First Level Ikebana Teacher
"Everything is autobiographical and everything is a portrait.” - Lucian Freud
Paying close attention, and surrendering to the inevitability of self expression, are what drive my art process. I’m fascinated by the tension between light and dark, connection and disconnection. I’ve learned to follow the call of seemingly random collage images and love having at surfaces with all manner of scraping tools. A strong mood and story is hinted at in much of my work, and things are left unsaid or moving in and out of focus, urging the viewer to linger and discover more. Words are variously revealed and concealed, often in languages I don’t understand. As an artist and retired psychologist, I’m endlessly moved by how we humans try, often fail, yet try again to communicate with one another. Finally, I’m drawn to quiet, and how much is expressed in silence, for those who care to look.
EXHIBITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AWARDS & PUBLICATIONS
2023
Arts to Hearts Magazine, featured in their Sanctuary edition, guest curated by Dina Brodsky.
The De Young Open a salon style exhibition of work by Bay Area artists juried by De Young Curators
Women Artists Making Their Mark International online show sponsored by O’ Hanlon Center for the Arts and juried by Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray of Seager Gray Gallery.
Context II International online show juried by Art-Fluent
2022
ART JUICE podcast, episode 183 - invited guest speaking about “Change, Courage & Taking Up Space” Podcast co-hosted by UK artists Louise Fletcher and Alice Sheridan.
Seeing Red International online show sponsored by Art-Fluent
Figures & Faces Show with fellow ICB Artists Sharon Paster and Margot Hartford
2022 Art2Life International Art Exhibition juried by Jack Fischer. One of 89 pieces chosen out of over 4500 for inclusion in this show.
Women Artists Making Their Mark International online show sponsored by O’ Hanlon Center for the Arts and juried by Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray of Seager Gray Gallery.
Wabi-Sabi International online show sponsored by Art-Fluent
Strictly Abstract International online show sponsored by O’ Hanlon Center for the Arts and juried by Emebet Korn of Desta Gallery
Face to Face National show sponsored by Arc Gallery SF
Elements International online show sponsored by Art-Fluent
Monochromatic International online show sponsored by O’ Hanlon Center for the Arts and juried by Suzanne Gray of Seager Gray Gallery
Artists Vision 2022 International online show sponsored by Marin Society of Artists and juried by Jen Tough Gallery
Artists of the Bay Area & Fun Size. Work included in two books published by Jen Tough Gallery
2021
Overexposed International online show sponsored and juried by The Visionary Projects and Legion Paper
Women Artists Making Their Mark International online show sponsored by O’ Hanlon Center for the Arts and juried by Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray of Seager Gray Gallery.
Triton Museum Salon Show Santa Clara, CA Two figurative pieces accepted into this highly competitive annual statewide show. Honorable mention for “Yes She Is”.
Unprecedented, Healdsburg, CA. National show at Healdsburg Center for the Arts juried by Melinda Cootsona
Finalist, American Contemporary Art 2021 One of eleven artists chosen for this award from the American Contemporary Art online platform
Fresh Paint, Ruby Living Design, Mill Valley, CA curated by Sally Cote
2020
First Tuesday Art Walk A virtual solo show, “Scrappy Women”, portraits of women artists on studio scraps, curated by the Mill Valley Arts Commission
ART JUICE podcast, episode 98 - invited guest speaking about “A positive lockdown story” Podcast co-hosted by UK artists Louise Fletcher and Alice Sheridan.
The de Young Open a community art exhibition of Bay Area artists in celebration of the museum’s 125th birthday. Over 11,000 pieces were submitted and I’m proud to have one of mine included in the under 900 pieces selected by de Young curators and prominent Bay Area artists. October 10 - January 3, 2021
2020 Art2Life International Art Exhibition juried by Julie Nester. One of fifty pieces chosen out of over 3000 for inclusion in this show.
Artrepreneur “Summer” Open Call, one of four Grand Prize winners for my piece “Queen Esther”
Women Artists Making Their Mark my piece, “Aakou, fractured” was chosen by O’ Hanlon Center for the Arts as the feature art to publicize their annual women’s show, virtual and global starting in 2020 and juried by Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray of Seager Gray Gallery. My mixed media portrait, “Vanishing” was selected for the show.
Your Art Tribe invited guest artist on UK artist Louise Fletcher’s paid membership site of 900 plus artists discussing my art process
The Artist Mindset invited guest on this online course with artist and creativity coach Cheryl Taves of Insight Creative Coaching, discussing Imposter Syndrome and how to deal with creative blocks.
Sausalito Presbyterian Church, Sausalito, CA “Meanderings” invited solo show curated by collage artist and ikebana practitioner Louise Forbush. Delayed for COVID. New date TBD.
Marin Community Foundation, Novato, CA “Voyagers” invited by curator Micah Lebrun to participate in this group show running from February 24 - June 19 2020
ART JUICE podcast, episode 47 - invited guest speaking about “Imposter Syndrome”. Podcast co-hosted by UK artists Louise Fletcher and Alice Sheridan.
2019
STUDIO Gallery, San Francisco “tiny & HUGE” exhibit juried by gallerists Jennifer Farris and Rab Terry
Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Nocturne” national show juried by Jennifer Perlmutter
Crescendo Gallery - Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley “Little Women” solo exhibition curated by Ronie Dalton & Margaret Moster
ADC (Art Design Consultants) Cincinnati, OH “Art Comes Alive 2019” international juried show
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA “Wabi Sabi” exhibit juried by Phyllis Thelan
Art2Life Academy, Master Class “Getting Unstuck” international, online community of 800+ artists founded by Bay Area artist Nicholas Wilton
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA “BOLD” exhibit juried by gallerist Robert Green
Desta Gallery, San Anselmo, CA “The Art of Ikebana” invited presentation by Emebet Korn, Desta owner and gallerist
San Francisco Women Artists, “Textures & Patterns” exhibit juried by Deborah Corsini, former curator San Jose Museum of Textiles
Focus on the Figure , Ruby Living Living, Mill Valley, CA curated by Sally Cote
Jen Tough Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Wild Things” Pop-up show curated by Jen Tough
2018
Arc Gallery, San Francisco, CA “Snap” exhibit juried by Arc staff
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA “Feast of Color” exhibit juried by Leslie Allen
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts, Mill Valley, CA “Bay Area Women Artists” exhibit juried by Donna Seager & Suzanne Gray of Seager Gray Gallery
Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA Three pieces accepted into Juried Group Fine Art Show
EDUCATION:
Art2Life Academy and Creative Visionary Program - Nicholas Wilton
Abstract mixed media - Jane Davies
Monotype printmaking - Cindy Miracle & Katie Gilmartin
Sogetsu Ikebana with Yoshi Hollis