Local artist swaps the Oxo Tower for Rye Harbour

By Rachel Spreckley

Local artist, exhibiting in the Discovery Centre

As a family we often visit Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, armed with our camera, binoculars and a paint brush! It’s a wonderfully inspirational place with its diverse birdlife and scenic landscape.

My Father is a ‘twitcher’.  He loves animals, just like me, but birds are his favourite. When I was young most holidays and weekend adventures involved birdwatching in some way or another. My eldest son has inherited his Grandfather’s passion for birds and as a family we love visiting local nature reserves and spotting local wildlife. When I started painting five years ago, I found myself drawn to painting animals, merging my love of wildlife and painting.

With a past career in fashion design and interiors, I now feel I have found my true calling by expressing the beauty and movement of nature through painting. I predominantly work with the medium of watercolour using a loose, expressive method. Splashes of paint create movement and energy or by incorporating other mediums such as graphite or charcoal, these add another exciting element to my work. In 2023 I was a Finalist in Sketch for Survival 2023. 

My painting of a Puffin seen on Skomer Island last Easter was exhibited in Edinburgh and the Oxo Tower, London and then auctioned off, contributing to vital funds raised for animal conservation.  

Rachel's artwork is available to buy from the Discovery Centre at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve or you can view more of her work here.