Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachael Nerney. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rachael, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on was a mural installation I did last year. It was initiated by two Charleston businesses, a restaurant downtown called Park & Grove and local design firm Stitch Design Co. The two of them collaborated on a rebrand for the restaurant late last summer. I had connected with Park & Grove when they were formally known as The Park Cafe back in 2019. Through a couple of creative projects, we established a great relationship built on the common love for locally grown food.

When I was selected to install the mural design on the exterior of Park & Grove’s restaurant, I was thrilled. The design emulated a vintage botanical poster, with modern, whimsical produce, with the main logo as the header. I felt confident in my ability to execute the complexity of the design as it felt related to a lot of projects I have completed in the past working for Whole Foods creating displays and signage.

The reason it was meaningful is because of the subject matter and businesses behind the image. It was fulfilling to bring a design I genuinely love to life and do so at a restaurant whose mission I am passionate about. Supporting local businesses all around is truly meaningful. I love that the community gets to walk by and enjoy the beautiful design every time they walk past – snippets of colorful whimsy to brighten their day. Best of all, the message from the imagery is celebrating eating local. This is something I am deeply passionate about.

My first and constant inspiration is my love for food and cooking. Charleston has a love of visual beauty and exceptional taste for quality food. I believe this is because of the access we have to what grows here. All the people in my life share this passion for food and it is one of my life’s greatest joys – cooking and sharing beautiful meals together. It is something I have always known I care for, but it wasn’t so clear until settling here in Charleston. Our access to beautiful produce, the abundance of skilled chefs that prepare it and the eager patrons ready to enjoy it – I haven’t been anywhere where the passion for food is so strong. Further, the amount of restaurants and individuals who strive to support their local farmers is exceptional too.

Rachael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a northern transplant currently living in Charleston, SC. I’ve always been creative but became a serious artist when I enrolled at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2009 where I studied Illustration. After college, I worked as an in-house store artist for Whole Foods where I expanded upon my graphic design skills over the course of four years. I started working for Miller Gallery in Charleston in 2017. My path drastically shifted from there. Working hard from the ground up, I learned what it takes to operate a fine art gallery.

While I began working as a gallery associate, I evolved to be a represented artist. In January 2019 I had my first duet exhibit at Miller Gallery with Julia Deckman. That was one of the first pivotal moments of my artistic pursuit. At the end of that year, we were nominated as the Best Exhibit of 2019 by the Charleston City Paper. Fast forward many exhibits and commissions later, I am focusing all my time now on my artwork. Typically you will find me painting in my home studio creating fine art, planning mural installations, or creating custom designs.

I initially got into painting food and creating murals with my work at Whole Foods. We would paint large scale fruits and vegetables on windows, large chalkboards, and the floors to create a seasonal feeling throughout the store. I absolutely loved creating illustrations on a large scale. The turnaround was always quick. It taught me to plan, design, and execute quality work efficiently.

Simply put, I am an artist who loves to capture the small details of life through color, light, and texture. I am known for my food-inspired original paintings. What sets me apart is I am deeply passionate about the process of my creative work. I specialize in custom paintings for individuals, designing artwork for products, and installing murals. My murals span from branding implementation to custom designs to elevate a business or private space.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Yes. I finally picked up the book “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron and have started that journey. There is an overwhelming amount of resources out there that claim to make you a better artist, but it’s hard to know what will stick. I often have had trouble completing online courses or creative self help books. The Artist’s Way takes you back to the basics of who you are, what lights you up, and how you can get in touch with what you really want. The foundation of the book encourages you to instill a daily writing practice to help you figure it out. Maybe I wasn’t ready for this journey before and it came at just the right time… but I know my younger self would have appreciated knowing the validation I’ve always wanted was within, not external. For ten years I have focused only on creating what has been assigned or requested. It is a huge mindset shift. What makes it important and exciting is that the more in touch I can get with the type of work that resonates with me, the stronger the chance I have of connecting with like minded people. This will ultimately create the authentic, fulfilling life that I desire more than anything in the world.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love connecting with new people, creative or not. I don’t consider myself to be extroverted and art allows me to connect with purpose and confidence. The most rewarding thing is to bring other people joy through my craft and creations. The more I can make people happy and improve their quality of life with what I make, the more I feel I am fulfilling my purpose here on earth.

Contact Info:

• Website: rachaelnerney.com
• Instagram: @rachaelnerney

Image Credits
Kate Blohm