Rachel Crawshaw
Artist, illustrator, digital creator and owner of Mushroom Moon Designs
About
Rachel holds a BA hon’s degree in Contemporary Art History from Lancaster University and is passionate about arts, crafts and creativity.
She is an art gallery assistant and manages Mushroom Moon Designs, a creative business including an Etsy shop, YouTube channel and blog. She paints with the Thursday Art Club in Pendleton in the Ribble Valley and attends the Hush Art Group in Clitheroe and the Blackburn Life Drawing group.
She has been awarded second place in two Paint Garstang Plein air painting competitions and has also received a highly commended award at paint the town Blackburn and Painting Padiham.
Originally from Cannock in the West Midlands, she studied in Lancaster, and now lives in the Ribble Valley with her husband Robin, son Joseph and their cat Holly. She loves trying out new arts and crafts materials, life drawing and exploring arts and crafts of many varieties.
Get in touch
Rachel is available for commissions and projects. If you want to chat about paintings, creativity, workshops or anything else with a creative leaning, don’t hesitate in reaching out on Etsy, Facebook, Instagram or email rachelteresacrawshaw@gmail.com
Artist Statement:
Art, making things and using my imagination has been a huge part of my life since childhood. I use creativity as an escape from life when things are difficult- art and the making process is a comforting constant when the world seems so unstable. But in contrast I also use art as a means to make sense of life. It adds value and meaning to my existence. When I go without creating art in any form I feel lost.
I did an Art History Degree at Lancaster University, focusing mainly on art from the 1900s up to postmodernism. Since the birth of my child creating art has become part of my daily routine. I am involved in many projects including book illustration, short story writing, running a digital paper design Etsy Shop, hosting workshops, life drawing and plein air painting. I enjoy experimenting with lots of styles and mediums. I held my first solo exhibition at Garstang Arts Centre in June 2023. I believe art can be anything: it is the intention of the artist that makes something art. I try to incorporate art and creativity into all things I do, from the most mundane things like cleaning my house, to the most profound things like being a parent.
Exhibitions prizes and projects
Solo Exhibition Garstang Arts Centre June 2023
Lancashire Stories illustrator 2022
Artist in residence Furor Scribendi– small bells ring 2022
Blackburn Artists 75th Anniversary exhibition Blackburn Cathedral 2022
Make your own folded sketchbook workshops with Cultrapedia and Spot on Lancashire, Blackburn and Darwen Markets 2022
The Write Time Anthology of short stories: author of the short story “Glamour 13.7” 2022
Highly commended, Paint Padiham, Plein Air painting competition 2022
2nd Prize, Paint Garstang, Plein Air painting competition September 2022
Mushroom Moon Designs 