Succulent

Succulents are my absolute favorite plant. They seem exotic and sometimes even prehistoric. I composed this imagery in photoshop for a painting I'm working on. The succulents in the image are a collage of my favorite plants in my yard, at my school and a few exotics I found online via Google images. I just built the 5 ft by 1 1/2 ft canvas with a bit of help from my dad, half the staff at Home Depot and a few boys in my painting class. Definitely a trying experience! My teacher told me I had to "practice my hammering" for homework, who knew taping a nail into wood could be so hard. I then projected the image from my computer and sketched it out on the canvas. Now, I'm finishing up the painting with oil paint and listening to Kesha on repeat. I'll post picture of my progress soon! Tell me what you think!

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Rachel

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Painted Wings: Part II

Ode to a Butterfly

Butterfly, oh butterfly, why do you hide in the shadows?

Spread wide your wings, let your heart sing

And come dance with me in the meadow

Butterfly, oh butterfly, why do you fear?

You'll never stray, I'll lead the way

Just follow the path, I'll be near

Butterfly, oh butterfly, have you no hope?

Drink of the sun, our life's just begun

Thro time's hills and valleys we'll lope

Butterfly, oh butterfly, dare you to dream?

On our hearts we depend, shall we follow the wind

And consign to the fates grander scheme?

-Sheri Walters Hockman-

Ginger: Part II

Following the red hair theme I decided to highlight a photoshoot when I was an (unnatural) red head. The shots were inspired by the jungle and I absolutely love the contrast my hair has against the tropical greenery. I wore a pale yellow dress to balance the vibrancy and add romance to the shots. I played around with a few emotions throughout the shoot, but my favorite is the last image. My friend Stephanie, the photographer, captured my hopeful spirit. It was definitely a successful shoot and we had fun walking barefoot through our own personal jungle.

Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet

and the winds long to play with your hair

-Kahlil Gibran

♥

Always,

Rachel Lynne

"When she walked... she stretched out long and thin like a tiger, and held her head high to look over the grass, as if she were treading the jungle" -Saskya Pandita

Hello, Kitty!

The goal for this shoot was initially to simply bring my Harajuku sketches to life. However, it soon became much more. I wanted to create a world that was part-video game, part-cartoon and all fun. Childhood characters like Kirby and Hello Kitty were a must in the shoot. I was luckily able to borrow some fun Hello Kitty pieces from my slightly enamored friends Katie and Kylie. I found a field of purple flowers a few weeks ago on a hike and thought it'd be a perfect spot for the shoot. However, when we got there we couldn't make the hike. Turns out 5-inch heels aren't made for rough terrain. So we walked around, entertaining passing cars and hikers, until we found a cool spot with wild weeds. Once the sun had set, we ventured back to my house and shot against a freshly plastered white wall. I added more animation to bring life to the girly photos. I knew I had to do a Hello Kitty post card inspired shot. As a little girl I wrote endless letters with my kitty stationary set to anyone and anything. I once even wrote a letter while on vacation to my favorite stuffed toy, Rover, detailing my sympathies for leaving him behind while I had endless adventures. My dad promptly sent the letter to Rover, complete with kitty stamps and an address: The shelf in Rachel's Room. Sadly, he still hasn't written back.

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Rachel Lynne

The Waterfalls

A few days ago I discovered these beautiful waterfalls on a hike with some friends and instantly thought, I have to do a photoshoot here. So, today my friend Kathleen and I got made up and hiked to the falls, whilst trying to keep our makeup intact :). When we got there after about an hour on the trails, it was just as amazing as when we left it. The ice cold water was encased in granite and bright green ferns clung to the cliff walls. I was able to convince Kat to wear nothing but a sheet in the middle of the Santa Monica mountains and get in freezing water, for the sake of art! She's such an amazing model you could never tell how loud her teeth were chattering. Just when we were getting into the shoot, we heard other hikers. Thankfully, they happened to be friends from school. It's always exciting shooting in public areas! For the pictures of Kat, my muse was Michelangelo's Venus. I'm in love with the ghostly effect her sheet had under the dark water and the blue glow in all the shots. I also had Kat incorporate the persona of a native. The kind of person who has become more animal then human, and would be quick to growl. Finally, it was my turn to get in the shots and leave my warm, safe spot. I channeled the wild human persona in my shots as well. Once I was shaking too much from the cold water to be still for the camera, we got in our dry clothes happily and started hiking back. I can't believe I live within walking distance to such a beautiful spot! I hope these pictures are as inspiring as they were to shoot, Enjoy!