We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Ranz 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?

From a young age I was introduce to art + culture. My mother was an immersive French teacher who at a later age started teaching art at a high school level. I always knew that colors , textures and light moved something inside me. I had a passion for languages and travel. I went to college to become a translator + interpreter with the goal of woking for the United Nations. This dream transported me to exotic places and unknown cultures .

I met my husband and moved to Europe and had 4 x amazing sons.

Fast forward to moving to LA . While I was raising my sons I reinvented myself and sought out my artistic passion with becoming a chef and owning a catering company.

I soon realized that everything I was drawn to was just another side of my creative artistic path .. taking me on a journey of self discovery.

Then during the pandemic I decided to paint,

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My work is an attempt to channel and express my thoughts often revealing my inner emotions. My paintings are personal. All conscious thinking is eliminated , and I get lost or perhaps found in a sense of total freedom
and joy.
I approach the canvas with no intentions , free of something” I’m planning to achieve ” . Colors and forms come alive almost
on their own. What I create mostly comes from a “feeling” being born at that very moment .
In the end without a planned mission , I hope that my art evokes , feelings, inspiration, and joy.
I strive to have the viewer be awaken by their own emotions and revelations.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I had just turned 57, my 4 X sons had gone on their own journey . I was empty nesting and asking myself if there was more to me in this life then being a mother, caregiver and provider. I was a private chef, a translator by schooling, and a designer. Having worn all of these “hats” had defined me for years so I thought , but didn’t fulfill me entirely.
The pandemic happened and I had just bought a home in the desert. I suddenly found myself surrounded by high ceilings white walls , beautiful sunsets and serene desert air = serenity and deep inspiration
I woke up one morning and I decided to go to the art store and buy a canvas and paints.
And so my life as an artist began.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Rachelmarieart.com
• Instagram: rachel_marie.art

Image Credits
Rachel M Ranz