"This is a portrait of my daughter Tori. She was a model for an artist group – you will also find a portrait of her done by Bill Abler (professor in the UIS HDC Program) in the WUIS Art Gallery!" - Rachel
"This is a self-portrait done while in Missouri with artist friends – painting in a plein air event in “wine country.” Of course there is a long story that goes with this painting, too long to describe here!" - Rachel
"For me, the very best models or “sitters” bring a quality of presence to the process of posing that challenges the painter to find the requisite tools to respond in a meaningful way. Simply “holding still” does not constitute a “quality of presence” (indeed, teapots and bowls of fruit have been known to hold a specific pose indefinitely with great precision and reliability!).
"I love the obvious friendship of these French draft horses. They live just east of Springfield. The barn lives just to the west. And the background lives in my mind." - Aneita