Meet Rachel Mambach | Artist and Public School Art Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Mambach and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
I do, and it’s actually my own quote. There are so many quotes from so many inspiring artists, writers, and other notable figures currently in our world and throughout history that I truly admire, but I think that coming up with my own quote about what I do just feels more special. I think these really capture my art and how I try to live my life. “There are so many ugly things happening in the world, and I want to add more beauty.” It’s kind of a “be the change” type quote, and when I say beauty, I mean that I want my art to be beautiful, but I also want to add more kindness to the world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is bright and colorful. I love texture, patterns and round shapes. Nature and happiness are my inspiration. I want to add more beauty into the world, and creating beautiful art is one very concrete way to do that. I want people to feel at peace when they view my art. I work in various media such as acrylic paint, watercolor, fibers, colored pencil, marker, in addition to others. A lot of my more recent work is mixed media fiber art, but I still love drawing and painting.

Getting to where I am? Am I somewhere? Haha! A lot of hard work, research, late nights, early mornings, asking questions, making mistakes, and putting myself out there has gotten me to where I am. I am very lucky to live in an area that appreciates artists and artisans. Before I had my son, I was constantly emailing, calling, and sometimes just showing up at local markets, art shops, galleries, libraries, farmers’ markets, restaurants, and even organizing my own pop-ups at locations who rented out space for the day. Since I’ve had my son (he’s three now), I’ve tried to create more of an online presence. Between COVID and a having a young child, getting to markets and other public spaces has been a challenge the last few years.

I’ve learned lot since I launched my business, Rachel Mambach Art, about five years ago. Always have a contract in applicable situations and require a percentage before the work is completed. Be overprepared for markets, but do not overdo it when making prints of your work. You DO NOT have to buy everything in the art store because you MIGHT use it. Inventory for artists is a nightmare when it comes to taxes. My amazing accountant, Elizabeth Riker, from Asbury Tax Advisors, has gotten me through that!

As for my brand and my story, I think that is always evolving as I grow and my life changes. Before my son, my art was very detailed, meticulous, and often small. Since then, I’m learning I need to be looser and move faster. Otherwise, I’ll never even sit down to start working. I always want my art to be beautiful, but recently, I also want it to be vibrant and have lots of texture, I want you to look at it and want to touch it. I think raising a toddler boy has really made me appreciate the tactile qualities of artwork! As I stated earlier, there are so many ugly things in the world, and I want to add more beauty, That is truly the essence of what I do.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hmm. So I’m, not sure you realize this, but I’m actually based out of the Jersey Shore! We would definitely go to the beach EVERYDAY. There are so many great beaches around here, and they all have their own personality. The towns and beaches of Asbury Park, Spring Lake, Belmar, Point Pleasant, and Bay Head are all so much fun. We’d definitely have to visit Point Pleasant for the boardwalk games, rides, aquarium, and fireworks, as well as all the cute independent shops on Arnold Ave and Bay Ave. We’d spend some time in Asbury Park. We might eat at Langosta Lounge for a sit down meal, Toast for brunch, or the Crepe Shop for lunch on the go. We’d definitely have to stop at Hot Glass to look at their artwork and blow some glass ourselves! Sushi would be on the list of places to go. Koi in Brick has really good sushi. While in Brick, we’d also have to go to the farmer’s market on Saturday morning at Windward Beach, and order some pizza from Little Mia’s for dinner. Meemom’s would also be on the list of places to go for brunch. We’d probably also pick up some groceries from Trader Joe’s in Brick or Wegman’s in Ocean Township one day to make our lunches for the beach. Playgrounds would also be on our list for sure. My son loves to run and climb, and we are so lucky to have a ton of amazing, clean, and safe playgrounds in our area.

However, MY best friend actually lives in Colorado! I’ve been to visit her a few times, and some of the places I’ve loved are the Fat Tire Brewery, hiking (walking) at the Rocky Mountains (near Boulder), the Denver Botanic Garden, Copper Mountain (off-season), and Las Dalias Family Mexican Restaurant in Littleton (coolest chairs and great food!)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Where to begin? My parents and my husband have always been very supportive of my art. My father is an amazing painter, himself, so he has definitely been a very positive influence. My maternal grandmother has also had a huge impact on my work even though she is no longer with us. Our family is Jewish, and as a teenager, she moved around Eastern Europe during WWII and the Holocaust to survive. She used lessons she learned from her family to survive. Most notably, garlic is good for your teeth and gums, planting vegetable gardens allows you to grow your own food. you should never waste anything, and there are good and bad people in every group. She came out of the experience believing that we should not hate people, but we should hate war, and that “where there is a will, there is a way.” She was a seamstress by trade, and we used to sew together when I was little. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to incorporate her resourcefulness and sewing into my art.

Website: www.rachelmambach.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rachelmambachart and www.instagram.com/kvellclothing

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachelmambachart and www.instgram.com/kvellclothing

Other: https://rachelmambachart.threadless.com/collections https://www.etsy.com/shop/kvellclothing