We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Muldez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was a Pre-Med student at Baylor University at the time, and I had no intention of using my artistic skill for anything more than a hobby. Since I was 7 years old I have taken art lessons. In high school, I had an amazing art teacher who taught me to draw and paint better than I knew I could. But, in college, my goal was to become a surgeon. In my junior year, I took my first college art class. It was a hand drawn graphics course that I believed I would enjoy. From the very first assignment, I was hooked by the competitive nature of the other art students. Yes, we worked side by side and enjoyed each other’s company, but the competition was intense. It was the same in my science classes, but I didn’t feel as compelled to rise to the top of my science classes. I was happy just learning. The more art techniques I learned, the more creative my mind became. I felt going back to only science courses would hault my developing creative side. I do believe good science must be creative, but I like to use my hands to make things. The most advanced science seemed to either be done on paper or by machine. I eased my way into it by telling myself I would illustrate science and medical textbooks and publications to get my nerd fix.
Today, my artwork always speaks to or is aided by science.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you tell us how you got started doing the work you do now?

After years of working with synthetic materials and still trying to be a wholistuc natural being, I finally just changed my practice to match my way of life. In 2012, I took some time out of graduate school to live and work and develop my creative ideas. During this time, my work became completely organic. I would look to nature for shapes, colors, and ideas as well as only using natural materials. I felt the work was becoming more interesting, and so did my viewers. It was only four years later, and before I finished my terminal degree, a large selection of my work was placed in an eight month National Museum exhibition. Though my work had been published in magazines and I had been both invited and accepted to exhibite my work many times before, this was the moment my career really took off.
Soon after the exhibition, I finished my degree and began a private art practice out of a studio I rented in Oak Cliff.
Since then, I have done many workshops with both children and adults. I teach them how to make paper, compose natural works of art, and how to see the world around them.
I work with clients and their children to explore their artistic side. A session will often include a nature walk to gather materials as well as breathing exercises to increase creativity.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Since I am a nature artist, and NFTs take up so much constant energy that comes mostly from natural resources, I do not wish to participate in the NFT genere of art. If it enhanced the meaning of my work instead of making it a hypocrisy, I would use them. I believe artists whose work can be enhanced by the nature of NFTs are better candidates for the medium than I.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As my students and clients know, my goal is to help individuals see nature and to understand that they are a part of it. Every time I see the world around me, pull away from its natural foundation, I want to make work to influence minds in another direction. That direction is always going to be outside and back in the beautiful nature that surrounds us.

Contact Info:

• Website: Rachelmuldez.com
• Instagram: @muldezart
• Facebook: Rachel Muldez
• Linkedin: Rachel Muldez
• Twitter: @RachelMuldez