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Hi I'm Rachel. I'm an artist and entomologist living in San Francisco, California.

My art stems from a deep appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. It is vibrant, calming, and full of wonder for the plants and animals we share the planet with.

Original Paintings

Original works of art painted in oil on canvas and natural birch panel

Why Draw Insects??

Insects feature prominently in my art! I work in the entomology department at the California Academy of Sciences and have fallen in love with the patterns, colors, and details that can be found on even the smallest insects. They are universes in miniature. Some insects are familiar - monarch butterflies, honeybees, and ladybugs - but there are millions more species on the planet. More than one person could know in a lifetime. One of my biggest joys is discovering them for myself and sharing them with others.

Learn More
  • Take me Back to Australia

    Take me Back to Australia

    Hello travelers! What follows is my totally unsolicited plug for one of the most beautiful places I've been lucky enough to visit. This trip happened in 2023, but I've been...

    Take me Back to Australia

    Hello travelers! What follows is my totally unsolicited plug for one of the most beautiful places I've been lucky enough to visit. This trip happened in 2023, but I've been...

  • A Moth by Any Other Name

    A Moth by Any Other Name

        Entomologists have a lot of explaining to do, and not just about their life choices! With a million plus (and counting), species of insects, arachnids and their relatives...

    A Moth by Any Other Name

        Entomologists have a lot of explaining to do, and not just about their life choices! With a million plus (and counting), species of insects, arachnids and their relatives...

  • Many-legged Muses

    Many-legged Muses

      If you had asked me if I liked bugs when I was a kid, I would have looked at you suspiciously. I mean, a potato bug (Jerusalem cricket), once...

    Many-legged Muses

      If you had asked me if I liked bugs when I was a kid, I would have looked at you suspiciously. I mean, a potato bug (Jerusalem cricket), once...

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