Meet Rachael Nerney

We recently connected with Rachael Nerney and have shared our conversation below.

Rachael, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I have found that saying yes before I am ready is the best way for me to push myself. The first time I did this was when I moved from New Hampshire to Georgia to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design. It was far from home and I didn’t know anyone. I was terrified but knew I wanted to take the risk. After college, I exhibited in an art gallery before I felt like I was ready. I did my first mural job before I felt like I knew what I was doing. The accumulation of small acts of faith in myself are what I believe have helped develop my self confidence. By completing these acts successfully, I proved to myself that I was in fact capable. Another thought on this topic is simply doing the work. It is too easy to sit around and look at what other people are doing. The hard thing is to put your blinders on, go inward, and begin on your own journey.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a Charleston based artist and illustrator. I specialize in colorful illustrations inspired by food, flora, and nature. The goal of my work is to serve as a moment of respite, joy, and contemplation for the viewer. It is a means of expression, celebration, and preservation of a moment in time. What I believe is so special about my work is the depth of the passion regarding the subject matter. A lifetime lover of all things food; cooking, sourcing, and admiring food’s beauty is a huge part of who I am. Attention to details connected to food is my love language and it comes across through the paintings. My business has many different facets. I sell my original paintings through multiple fine art galleries across the South East, USA. I offer custom fine art commissions for homes and businesses. I create digital illustrations that can be used for both personal and business purposes. I’m also available to create artwork ready for products such as stationary and wall art through my new licensing agent.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

When you are first starting out, find work that is remotely interesting and see what you can learn from it. You never know where the work will lead. It can be overwhelming when you are fresh out of college because there can be a lot of external pressure to land your dream job. I knew I had to get a job right out of school. I was extremely fortunate with the one that I found with Whole Foods Market. Working as a Store Artist allowed me to slowly focus on gaining new skills while making a living. That same job is what sparked my love of painting food. The various responsibilities of that job taught me to plan, design, and execute work efficiently. I felt valued in the workplace. I knew the work I was doing was directly connected to the success of the store. Feeling valued planted a small bud of confidence in me that I have been nurturing ever since. It helped me take a leap of faith and change industries after 4 years with the company. That’s when I started working at a contemporary art gallery. After being in the commercial world of Whole Foods, I was extremely intimidated. I didn’t feel worthy to have my work on the walls, even with four years of art school under my belt. My mindset was that I was an illustrator, not a fine artist. Then one day the owner agreed to hang some of my watercolors in the back of the gallery. That boosted my confidence. Two years later I had my first exhibit. Fast forward to now, I currently show in four art galleries and am growing my business into new sectors of the arts industry. The three skills that have been most important along the way are hard work, patience, and persistence. No matter what my day job is, I always show up to do my best work while maintaining a mindset of curiosity. Everything is connected and so many things in daily life inspire me to create.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The number one obstacle I have faced pursuing art as a full time gig is making it financially viable. After five years of working a part time job and creating, I took the leap of faith to work as an artist full time. After a year and a half, it was clear that I did not have enough revenue streams to keep myself going. During that time, my main source of income was from fine art sales. I dove into this topic recently on Kate Blohm’s podcast, Subject Matters (Episode 4). In short, fine art sales are tricky because the sales are both inconsistent and unpredictable. While I had multiple galleries selling my work, there still wasn’t enough traction. I felt it was time to try a new direction. That brings me to where I am now, and that is pursuing art licensing. I can’t say too much about this yet but I can share why I decided this was the right choice for me. I was approached by an agent who had come across my work through my gallery representation. With a background in illustration, the commercial side of art is what I studied in college. The serendipity of the connection from art gallery to art agent assured me that I was headed in the right direction. While it is not an overnight solution, I know I am actively working toward a new revenue stream that will support me in the long term. This will add to everything I am already pursuing and utilize concepts I’ve created over 10+ years of art making. I am so excited to share more down the road!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rachaelnerney.com
• Instagram: @rachaelnerney
• Facebook: Rachael Nerney Art

Image Credits

Kate Blohm Photography