Rachel Mercer

Born in Cambridgeshire, Mercer studied at Cardiff School of Art and Design graduating in 2012 before being awarded the postgraduate programme at The Royal Drawing School. Since 2014 she has been a painter and educator working in London. She has exhibited in the UK, Athens and China and had work purchased for the Royal Collection by HM Charles III. 

Describe your approach to teaching
My classes are structured, often with specific material limitations or parameters for working. Demonstrations help students consider alternative ways of working and hone particular aspects of their practice. This is balanced with encouraging more freewheeling exploration emphasising brushwork and mark-making as the way to imbue life, energy and rhythm through one's work. 

What inspires your own work? 
I am fascinated by human interaction and connection to the observed world. I try to capture the movement and actions of figures. Observational drawing is at the centre of my approach while imagination and memory bring my compositions together.