Meet Rachel Dory | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Dory and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Making a living as a creative is full of risk. When I doubt myself, my mantra has always been to make decisions based on self-trust, and to not allow fear to guide decisions. Releasing my more dependable professional work to become a full time working artist felt like jumping off a cliff, but it was best decision I could have made. Teaching my children to prioritize their creative talent and happiness has always been my goal, and that gave me the courage to make the leap.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art examines the “in-between” along the American roadside.

These archetypal places are familiar to us all; our companions as we travel from one destination to another. Lonely as they may seem, roadside scenes and objects serve as a common language and help us to connect and understand one another.

Each piece I create documents a real location that compelled me to stop the car and take another look. While onside I sketch, take notes and shoot photographs. These later serve as reference materials when I sit down in my studio.

I use many layers and materials as I paint, building up and scraping away to drill down to the core experience. My intent throughout the process from first sight to final paint stroke is to unlock the mysteries of the location, answer the questions that it poses, and provide an opportunity for others to do the same.

My challenge is to capture the feeling of the place, so viewers can feel like they are standing there. A finished painting can take weeks, months, or years to complete. I note the latitude and longitude of each location, and many can be revisited virtually via Google Maps street view.

Each piece is meant to serve as a doorway to our own unique stories and memories.

I feel that a painting has succeeded when a person approaches and begins,

“This reminds me of…”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d take my friends to visit AO5 Gallery, the Texas State Capitol building, and the Junk Palace in Austin! Along the way we’d eat at Donn’s Barbecue and grab a taco from the secret menu at Torchy’s Tacos.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to Todd Gresley at AO5 Gallery in Austin, Texas – ao5gallery.com. His belief in me and my work gave me the courage to become a full time artist, and I will never be able to thank him enough.

Website: www.racheldory.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racheldory/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racheldoryfineart

Other: https://linktr.ee/racheldory

Image Credits
Rachel Dory