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Rachel Tighe's love of cities explored in colourful graphical strokes and negative space

Bold, colourful and naïve in nature – this is how British artist Rachel Tighe describes her work. "It represents how I see my surroundings in an expressive and fluid form," she says. "I feel that over the years my style has become more refined and my use of colour has directed me into exploring new thoughts and compositions."

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Colourful illustration of a busy urban street with vibrant buildings in red, blue and yellow, pedestrians, and street lamps under a clear sky

Self-employed as an artist for the last four years, Rachel loves to explore mark making and instinctive lines that map out and form our conscious surroundings. The graphic nature of her strokes challenges her use of colour to create depth and balance.

She has a particular love of painting urban landscapes: "I love cities to draw inspiration from, as there are so many compositions and shapes from architecture that seem complex, but when sketching become so effortless and free-flowing. I look for certain outlines and characteristics when creating a painting, whether it's in cities or more recently, abstract florals. I look for a certain balance of negative space – this can be in between buildings, people, structures, petals and foliage, it all has to flow together to complete a configuration."

Since graduating from university in 2008, Rachel has explored her ideas alone in her studio, which she says has steered her to develop naturally and hone in on her style. She is currently represented by a handful of reputable galleries nationwide who have exhibited her work in solo shows and have also taken her work to well recognised art fairs, both in the UK and places such as New York and Monaco. Discover more at www.racheltighe.com.

Colourful illustration of an urban park with tall buildings in the background, autumn foliage in vibrant reds and greens, and a curved pathway below a bright blue sky
Colourful illustration of a city skyline featuring tall buildings with varied architectural styles, including a distinctive diamond-patterned tower, set against a light blue sky
Colourful graphic illustration of a London street scene featuring St Paul's Cathedral, red buses, pedestrians and Georgian buildings rendered in bold strokes and vibrant colours
Rachel Tighe's colourful painting of a busy urban street scene with Camden Lock signage, crowds of people, and architectural structures under a bright blue sky
Rachel Tighe's colourful abstract floral painting with bold black outlines and vibrant yellow, red, purple, blue and green flowers held up against a white wall
Colourful abstract floral painting by Rachel Tighe hanging above a wooden dining table with cream chairs and a teal pendant lamp
Artist Rachel Tighe painting a large abstract composition with bold black lines, purple and blue brushstrokes on white canvas
Rachel Tighe's black ink mural of densely packed buildings with varied architectural details covers the wall above a bed with patterned cushions and wooden furniture
Artist Rachel Tighe creating a large-scale mural with blue flowers and black outlines on white paper whilst standing on a ladder
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