We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Rivas-Plata. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

When I was a student at Allegheny College, the receptionist bought a ceramic cup and saucer that was in the student art show. I still remember being quite surprised since I had always given away my art to friends and relatives or just let it sit in my room. It never occurred to me that someone might find my work valuable. Every time I sell a piece of art I’m so thankful that others see the value in what I create.

Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an artist working primarily with encaustic medium. I majored in studio art at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, focusing on ceramics and drawing there. For many years after college, I put art on the back burner while working in publishing, getting married and raising my daughter. I took a few more classes here and there including graphic art and pottery, but in 2018 I discovered my favorite medium.

Encaustic is a mixture of beeswax and tree resin which gives stability to the wax surface. To work with it you must melt it with a heat gun or blow torch. The first time I melted the the beeswax and brushed it over my pastel drawing of a bird, I was in love. Encaustic medium is quite versatile since it can be used as a paint, a background, or a surface. My subject matter varies, but I’m deeply inspired by woodland creatures, nature scenes, rural landscapes, patterns, and antique ephemera.

I get the most enjoyment forging my own path with the wax by combining various techniques and other media. Every spring I devote time to creating cyanotypes – blueprints made with the sun. I combine some of these prints with encaustic and other media to make “suncaustics.” Most of my pieces begin with either a digital collage or photo adhered to a wood canvas. Then I add layers of wax and oil pastels which are fused together with heat. Texture can be added various ways, but I usually use pottery tools and wire brushes I have on hand.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron is a book I heard about from another artist. It’s a twelve week course which helps people find their way creatively. It has become a sort of bible for me, and I refer back to it quite often. It has matched my entrepreneurial philosophy which is that I create art not to sell it, but I sell it to create more art. Cameron believes we all share a purpose to create something while we’re alive, and I agree. Art sales allow me to fund my creative purpose, and that is what keeps me going!

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I currently sell work through my business Wolf Pup Studio LLC. The branding and marketing aspect of the business is as challenging as it is rewarding – a very different kind of creativity is needed there. Spending time on the business is time away from the studio, so finding balance between art making and business is crucial.

I’m a typical introvert – I’m mostly quiet and avoid lots of attention. There is also an extrovert within me though who speaks through writing and art. I have an artist blog which details some of the thought and artistic processes I conjured when making particular pieces. I hope when people see or buy my art they also take the time to read the blog, but part of me likes that it can remain covert. Maybe it’s something to be discovered years from now by someone looking at my art if they search for my name.

Contact Info:

• Website: wolfpupstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.rivasplata/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfpup
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/wolfpupstudio/