welcome to the website of rachael cawley



Rachael Cawley M.A.      
you can find some of my work here. 
      http://www.saatchiart.com/account/profile/333314
https://uk.pinterest.com/cawley0370/
https://twitter.com/rachaelthepaint


PictureM.A show 2007



  My work is concerned with the layering of translucent colour and form built up over  time to create ethereal and symbolic imagery. I use paint, gold leaf, digital media and thread to achieve this.

My original degree was in education but after 25 years of teaching I returned to the University of the West of England to complete a Masters in Multi Disciplinary Printmaking, gaining a Distinction.
My work took a total change in direction, from abstraction to figurative work which embraced the concept of "divine feminine" combining the intricacies of pattern with Gothic aesthetics.

I have recently retired from teaching. Like most women artists I have created a studio at home.

I live by the sea in South West England.


 A word about prices of artwork and what is actually involved


 You will notice that there are no prices on the artwork on this website. There are many reasons for that. I have prices on all my artwork on my Saatchi site. There is a price for the original and then there's another price for the digital print. I put my work at the lowest price possible for both formats. In some cases I am almost pricing myself below minimum wage per hour for the hours put in on on a piece of work. Lets look at an example.....




Lockdown 2  The Middle Ages    H 100cms x W x 96cms x D 4cms white battening

This painting is currently on the Saatchi site at $1090 which as I type is £872. Whoever buys this work will pay for the painting and the international delivery costs. I will be notified by Saatchi that i must package my work in a crate and they will send me a document as to the several and precise layers of acid free tissue paper/corner supports/bubble wrap and foam that i will need to buy to pack out the wooden crate that i must make or have made for me. Then i will have to apply to the government for an export licence which usually takes 3 weeks to process. I pop in my signed document that this is all my own work and a return address as if the buyer doesn't like the painting upon receipt, they can have it sent back to me. I wait in for several hours for the courier to arrive who checks my passport/documentation/weight of said crate and insurance document. The courier is now responsible for the work.
Here's a few images to show my work process.


Yes, I know the final image is of a different painting but it shows the frame more clearly that the white one around Lockdown 2.
So the sequence is thus...
cut the canvas. 10 mins
size the canvas. 30 mins
gesso the canvas. twice 1 hour
map out the design, (that's the way I work) 1 hour
paint the image/then repaint it as the composition doesn't work. this one was around 60 hours
build the stretcher for the canvas.  4 hours
stretch the canvas and trim. 1 hour
make the batten frame/sand/paint. 3 hours
tape the back and attach fitting/hanging kit. 1 hour
pack with Saatchi requirements and make crate. 8 hours
check documentation 2 hours
cost of materials £50/£100

Saatchi are generous in their commission fee. Most galleries will take 50% of the purchase price. Saatchi take less. A web price of £872 will probably net £560 in my account. Currencies fluctuate so if the pound goes down against the dollar for example, I could receive less.  I,m working for about £5 an hour. Tomorrow I,m going back on that site and increase my prices.
I have no idea of the quality of digital prints of my work purchased from the Saatchi site but they most certainly won't be signed.

If an artist sells artwork in a physical/high street gallery, the commission will be more and the gallery will usually demand that the artist does not sell their work at a reduced price from their own studio. They have rent/rates/staff and general maintenance fees to fulfill, so its understandable although shocking when one first encounters a 100% markup on the work you have slaved over for weeks.
Galleries want artists who can knock out work quickly and be famous enough to sell for very high prices. I do neither.

To precis
I can get digital prints done of my artwork and sign and post. I would print them on high quality paper. They will probably cost more than digital prints from the Saatchi site.
I can send artwork through a courier to the UK and it will cost less than the Saatchi site. Better still, I might make more than £5 an hour.
Email me if you're interested.