Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Rivas-Plata.
Hi Rachel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I always loved to draw when I was little — my favorite subjects were houses, birds, and horses. I grew up in the country, spending summer days fishing or swimming in our pond and taking in beautiful sights while walking around our property. Cold winter days were spent poking around the attic filled with seemingly ancient books and artifacts left in our farmhouse by my great-grandparents. After high school, I thought I was going to be an art therapist, but for various reasons never realized that goal. I majored in Art in college, concentrating on drawing and ceramics.
My job in legal publishing wasn’t very creative, so I continued to take courses in art over the years while working. After my daughter was born and I stayed home to raise her, I bought some jewelry making supplies and opened my Etsy shop. Since I began working in encaustic medium and opened my business Wolf Pup Studio LLC, I have sold many pieces at local shops, galleries, and events. I realized I could pay for my supplies and help my community, so I have been donating at least 10% of my net sales to my local National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter of Geauga County.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was difficult for me to initially put my art up for sale. As many artists can attest, each piece feels like an extension of yourself, and if that piece is not accepted it can feel quite personal. I have had an Etsy shop since 2012 selling some hand-crafted jewelry, but the sales were not great with so much competition there. Once I started putting my work in local shops and doing some events in person, I became much more motivated by buyers’ wonderful reactions to my jewelry and art work that I don’t always experience with online sales.
The creative process has always been therapeutic for me, and I try to encourage people to participate in arts or crafts to experience that. It has been gratifying to be accepted into some local juried shows and the sales definitely keep me motivated. It’s also quite amazing to speak with buyers who are truly touched by my work, and that is a gift I do not take for granted.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I primarily work with encaustic medium. “Encaustic” means to burn in and is the term used when artists paint with beeswax. The medium is a mixture of beeswax, dammar resin (tree sap), and pigments. I heat the wax to melting in order to paint, layer, and fuse it onto a natural surface, such as wood or paper. I am truly a mixed-media artist, though, since many different processes and media usually go into one of my pieces. I will take one of my original photos or watercolor prints, adhere it to a wood panel, then cover it with the melted beeswax. I often use oil pastels to add more color and it’s always fun to add lots of texture with various tools I keep in my studio.
Experimenting with other media along with the encaustic keeps my work interesting. The foundation of my pieces under the beeswax varies widely – it can be a cyanotype, digitally altered photo, watercolor painting, torn up book page, or an image from a 19th century periodical. A unique collection of photos and artifacts from my ancestors serves to aid and inspire much of what I create. My subject matter can vary quite a lot too. I enjoy creating abstract pieces which highlight interesting patterns and contrasting colors and textures. I feel quite satisfied when a piece emits an otherworldly feeling while maintaining a foundation of realism.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Keep many irons in the fire when you’re starting out as an artist. Try all kinds of venues and different locations to show your work until you find your audience.
Take high resolution photos and keep a spreadsheet detailing everything you make. There are some pieces I sold a long time ago that I regret not archiving. I took some of my earlier photos and made myself a hard cover book that I can show buyers or look at when I want to reflect. I need to work on volume two! Another bonus of having the photos is you can always make prints, or even alter the images and incorporate them into new works of art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wolfpupstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.rivasplata/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wolfpup
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/wolfpupstudio
