Hey! I’m Rachel- artist, anatomy enthusiast, workshop instructor, and cliff diver at the famous Mexican restaurant, Casa Bonita.
I have been combining science and art since high school, and continued this practice throughout college. This year, I graduated summa cum laude and with distinction from the University of Colorado- Boulder with degrees in Neuroscience and Art Practices, and was also named the colleges Outstanding Undergraduate for my work on my honors thesis, combining anatomy, art and advocacy (described further below)!
After graduating, I studied classical realism at the Florence Academy of Art for 10 weeks! For 6-8 hours a day, I was immersed in painting, drawing, artistic anatomy lectures, and museum tours in the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Throughout this process, my love for art and it’s rich history was strengthened and my technical foundation solidified. I look forward to applying elements of classical realism into my future works, whether that be through through my fine art practice or in my pursuit of medical illustration!
My honors thesis, titled Cadaveric Ethics in Figurative Art Instruction: Developing a Workshop for an Anatomical Approach, was the ultimate synthesis of my passions for art, anatomcal dissection, and advocacy. I developed an “Anatomy for Artsits” workshop to share with other artists the benefits I had experienced learning anatomy from cadavers during my time as a Dissecting Intern In the CU Cadaver Labs. Because I was holding my workshop in the cadaver labs, I also wanted to adress the historical and modern marginalization that is present in anatomy laboratories. I informed participants of the unjust history behind body procurement and the lasting impacts on contemporary anatomical education, advocated against the use of unclaimed bodies, and addressed the historical lack of diversity in anatomical art. In understanding how the past informs the present, participants were better informed and equipped to promote a more ethical and equitable future in anatomy and art!
