Artist Bio

Rachel Woelfel is an artist, teacher, and art therapist from New York.  She began as a painter, and quickly adapted to ceramic sculpture, which she describes as "painting in 3D." In her artwork, she explores spontaneous and intuitive processes through traditional subject matter. She has always been intrigued by the human form, the continued representation of it in art, and how it has evolved over time. As time has gone on, her work has become less interested in traditional portraiture, and creating with the intent of producing a likeness to the subject. A growing concern that has emerged in her artwork is to use the human form solely as a means of inspiration; where the focus shifts toward the expression of color, material, abstraction, and an underlying emotion or motive. One of the goals she hopes to express through her work is to hint at a narrative, explore myth, archetypes, and the human experience. This has included themes of anxiety, reflection, fear, isolation, and everyday life. Her personal experiences with art making, her time as a teacher, and prosthetic artist ultimately prompted her shift into the field of Creative Arts Therapy. During her Master's Thesis, Rachel explored the therapeutic elements of tarot and archetypes in Art Therapy, and how they can help us connect more deeply with ourselves, our stories, and our connection to others through archetypes. Rachel is currently accepting new clients in private practice and teaching art classes part time in her community.