Blackpool artist Rachel Hey has opened her first solo exhibition at HIVEArts. Pencil and Paper brings together colourful abstract collages, highly detailed pencil portraits and digitally inspired character work shaped by years of artistic experimentation. David Simper went along to the exhibition launch and caught up with the artist.
I’ve followed Rachel’s work for some time on social media and was keen to see it first hand at what is her first exhibition at the Church Street, HIVEArts gallery. On arrival the cafe area was buzzing with visitors – not just for this exhibition but with Blackpool Sixth Form’s BTEC exhibition upstairs and a group of chess players too. The HIVE has become a real community hub.
Rachel’s work exhibited here falls into three categories – abstract, close to photo-realistic drawings and digital. Examples of all these are presented here. Aside from the excellent pencil work, the colour palette is consistently well chosen and optimistic. These works would be a centrepiece for any room.
After picking up the art bug as long ago as at play school, Rachel has had a long educational arts career culminating in her Illustration degree from the University of Lancashire. Despite not currently working in the arts directly, Rachel has kept the creative spark alive and has used this to get through some tough times. Now a part of the Blackpool arts community and a regular at the HIVEArts Hive-Jive get togethers, she’s looking forward to taking her work forward.
There’s a strong contrast between the abstract collage work and the pencil portraits. The latter answer the question, ‘can you actually draw?’ definitively – yes! The photo above shows some overlap between the two styles.
These pencil drawings, with their carefully selected splashes of occasional colour, are of superb quality. However, I wouldn’t express a preference for it over the other work – all has its own validity. The degree of versatility Rachel demonstrates is striking.
Digital art is another means to creativity which Rachel has picked up with alacrity. There might be reference to Japanese animation styles and characters, but these are happy, optimistic images. Rachel recounts that the rabbit images are worked up from sketches of much loved pets.
I took the opportunity to speak to Rachel about her artistic process.
What had been your route into art?
I’ve always done art since I was young and always enjoyed it. My parents always encouraged this and I had a lot of encouragement from teachers. So it was just out of enjoyment first, then I went on to study art at college, graphics then art and design and then I did illustration.
There are three distinct art styles in the exhibition, what’s behind this?
I have many styles, but these are probably the three main ones. At the moment I’m favouring my abstract work – my most recent work. I go through phases. I’ll have a spell of being interested in one thing, a few months or a year or two and then I decide I fancy doing something else. I’ve been doing the abstract work for the past year and a half. During lockdown I started drawing the digital work – most of the drawings were done during the second lockdown.
People have always wanted to see the more photorealistic drawings the most – it’s a skill I’ve got, but I don’t actually enjoy the process, the hours and hours that a piece can take. Every now and then I like to do a drawing like that – I feel it’s a skill I’ve got that, so every now again I’ll do a drawing just to use that skill, but it’s not really the art that I enjoy doing.
Which artists inspire you?
My favourites are actually local artists: Omani Hamner, Darren Elwell and Tom Lopato. Then Jason Brookes, I’ve been into a lot of his work, he does the Head Candy album artwork and was a favourite when I was at university. Then I like character designers such as Yuko Shimizu, responsible for Hello Kitty, which sort of informs my digital work. Overall, too many to really choose.
How do you think your art will develop over future years?
I’d like to do a lot more of the abstract work, because that’s what I enjoy doing the most – it’s therapeutic and relaxing. I like craft as well. I’d like to do more and looser portrait drawings.
Thanks to Rachel for these insights into her work. She also appreciates the HIVEArts and HIVE cafe teams in supporting this exhibition.
Rachel Hey’s Pencil and Paper is at the HIVE cafe exhibition space until 1st July
