Meet The Resident: Portrait Artist Rachael Armstrong
In our latest Meet the Resident we get to know portrait artist Rachael Armstrong, our newest Great Northern Street creative resident!
Tell us a bit about yourself and your creative work?
I’m Rachael, a portrait artist specialising in wedding and child portraits as well as live wedding and event painting. You may have seen me painting at St George’s on Saturdays or Sundays throughout the summer.
Any projects you’re currently working on?
At the moment, I am practicing to develop speed and accuracy for my upcoming wedding clients. For this, I am accepting a number of regular commissions.
What was the biggest hurdle for you starting out and how did you overcome it?
I have two small children as well as a teaching job and so time limitations and “mummy guilt” (IYKYK) are my biggest ongoing hurdles. I try to overcome this by being present and committing my attention to each area (painting, children, teaching, socialising, rest, etc) so that the time that I do spend is better quality than trying to do lots of things at once!
How do you stay inspired and motivated?
I am committed to building a life that includes painting so a long-term belief that this will work out helps me to brush off short-term setbacks and see solutions and opportunities rather than barriers to progress.
What do you wish you had known before starting out?
I didn’t realise when I started how much I had yet to learn. I am glad I didn’t know this at the time – it may have put me off starting altogether! I have learned to be patient, adapt and go with the flow. Every hour spent practicing is an hour spent improving.
What’s your top tip/piece of advice for anyone wanting follow a creative path?
Continue to enjoy what you do, there will be ups and downs but if you enjoy what you’re doing then you can be patient in your development.
Do you have any regrets or anything you wish you had done differently on your creative journey?
I wish I had known the questions that my clients and potential clients were going to ask and been prepared to answer them earlier on in this venture. Things like payment and deposit information, sizing, price, booking information. This has come with time. As an artist, I didn’t consider the economic side of things until after I was confronted with it.
Where can people find you online?
Instagram is best: @RachaelPaintsWeddings
Also: www.RachaelArmstrong.Art
Anything else you would like to share?
I have really enjoyed the media aspect of this journey, discovering the fun that can be had with editing videos and finding inspiration from content creators. I am looking forward to developing me skills in this area when I find the time. I know as a visual artist that social media platforms are a key opportunity in sharing your creativity.
