So I guess I should introduce myself to you all before I get too far into this blog. I’m Rachel Troutman and I recycled scrap wood into new and bold geometric abstract paintings and collages. But I’ll share more about my art in future posts so for now I’ll let you into my world-but don’t get to excited because my world mostly revolves around my cats.
In a nutshell (because you really don’t want to hear my whole life story and I’d rather forget some things) I was born and raised in Central PA amid some of the most beautiful mountainous regions in the world. I swear the mountains here have a look all of their own. If you read my bio, you’ll know that I graduated from SRU in 2002 with a degree in Sport Management. Looking back now I don’t regret picking the major I did because at the time it’s what I wanted and I did learn a lot both professionally and personally from my professors (Hi Dr. Ammon!) but sometimes when that student loan bill shows up….
Fast forward to 2008 when I picked up my paint brushes I had only occasionally used over the years and seriously started painting on a piece of scrap wood from my dad’s work. I had a blast and I knew I wanted to keep painting. I don’t know if it was the feeling of having something to say or just wanting to be “artistic” but I felt I just had to keep painting.
Gradually over time I became more confident and decided to sell my work. It was and still is a big deal for me to do this for a couple of reasons. One, I’m self-taught and feel like I’m on my own as far as learning to be an artist and learning about my field. And the second reason is because like many creative people, on a scale of 1-10, my confidence level is usually at .05%. It’s very difficult to share something you’ve created with strangers and even friends because each painting /collage is like a baby to me.
And speaking of babies, I have 3 kids of the furry variety-Lulu, Hoppi, and Edie. Lulu is the oldest but she’s definitely my baby-mostly because I raised her from a 2 week old kitten into the spoiled diva she is now. Hoppi is a special needs cat-he appeared on our doorstep about 3 months old and missing his back left leg. Edie is the youngest. Even though she’s 2 years old she’s still a complete kitten. Do Maine Coons mature slowly or something?
So that’s me. I hope you learned something because I did, writing this wasn’t so painful! Future posts will be more about my art and business so check back often. If you want to see my babies, visit their flickr set.
In a nutshell (because you really don’t want to hear my whole life story and I’d rather forget some things) I was born and raised in Central PA amid some of the most beautiful mountainous regions in the world. I swear the mountains here have a look all of their own. If you read my bio, you’ll know that I graduated from SRU in 2002 with a degree in Sport Management. Looking back now I don’t regret picking the major I did because at the time it’s what I wanted and I did learn a lot both professionally and personally from my professors (Hi Dr. Ammon!) but sometimes when that student loan bill shows up….
Fast forward to 2008 when I picked up my paint brushes I had only occasionally used over the years and seriously started painting on a piece of scrap wood from my dad’s work. I had a blast and I knew I wanted to keep painting. I don’t know if it was the feeling of having something to say or just wanting to be “artistic” but I felt I just had to keep painting.
Gradually over time I became more confident and decided to sell my work. It was and still is a big deal for me to do this for a couple of reasons. One, I’m self-taught and feel like I’m on my own as far as learning to be an artist and learning about my field. And the second reason is because like many creative people, on a scale of 1-10, my confidence level is usually at .05%. It’s very difficult to share something you’ve created with strangers and even friends because each painting /collage is like a baby to me.
And speaking of babies, I have 3 kids of the furry variety-Lulu, Hoppi, and Edie. Lulu is the oldest but she’s definitely my baby-mostly because I raised her from a 2 week old kitten into the spoiled diva she is now. Hoppi is a special needs cat-he appeared on our doorstep about 3 months old and missing his back left leg. Edie is the youngest. Even though she’s 2 years old she’s still a complete kitten. Do Maine Coons mature slowly or something?
So that’s me. I hope you learned something because I did, writing this wasn’t so painful! Future posts will be more about my art and business so check back often. If you want to see my babies, visit their flickr set.
