Bio: Rachel was born in Evansville, Indiana and studied at the University of Evansville for her Bachelor of Science Degree. She majored in Visual Communication Design with a minor in Communications and received a Business Essentials Certificate. Rachel worked as the Creative Director and Graphic Designer for Embrace Marketing and Communications from 2021–2023. She also worked for Crescent Magazine as the Creative Director in the Spring Semester of 2022. Rachel interned with Shoe Carnival as an Instructional Designer in the Summer of 2022. She also interned with Tommy Art & Design in the Fall Semester as a Graphic Designer. Rachel began working as the Graphic Designer for Jigsaw Digital Strategies in 2023 and continues to work there.
Artist Statement: With Visual Communication Design being my focus, my most common mediums for art are Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. Most projects require a combination of the different mediums. I use Illustrator for any graphic elements, Photoshop for editing and manipulation of photographs, and InDesign for layout design of complete projects. I also use Adobe Fresco for larger freehand drawings while keeping the digital aspect. The layers of are pieced together in any order, allowing me freedom to create in any order as a digital artist.
My art comes from the inspiration I find within my subjects. My subjects are the companies and products I design for, the people I meet, and the nature I see. I do not stop my exploration of a subject matter at the surface level; instead, I aim to completely understand my subject before choosing how to reflect it in my art. I use symbolism in my art to relate the work back to the subject. The imagery, colors, typography, and style come from my understanding of the subject. My work is best understood after the viewer learns about the subject. That knowledge will lead the viewer to see things in the design that just existed before. Now they have a purpose.
Although I focus on visual communication design, I study and use other disciplines of art to enhance my designs. I use digital photography, painting, and drawing because they allow me to become more hands on with my art. While being standalone mediums, these forms of art also relate to how I create my designs. Digital photography influences the textures I use. The layers I build in painting translate into the many layers it takes to build up a design. I use drawing when sketching out a new project or creating elements for a new piece.