About the artist
In the light-filled attic studio at her north London home, the artist Rachel Dein gently peels back a clay mold to reveal a plaster cast of flowers in amazing details and extraordinary beauty.
Combining her fascination with plants and sculpture—the works of Rodin and Andy Goldsworthy are her favourites — Rachel’s floral castings are tactile and sculptural. Her method, adapted from a glass-casting technique learned in college, is deceptively simple. Flowers and foliage are arranged and pressed onto wet clay. A wooden frame is then placed on the clay and the plaster is poured in and allowed to set. The magical moment comes when Rachel lifts the clay mold to reveal the plants in their plaster incarnation. It is as if the real plants are enfolded within the plaster casting.
Dein has worked as a propmaker for the likes of The Royal Opera House, The Globe Theatre and Selfridges.
Meeting Rachel
It was a beautiful Spring morning when we drove to meet Rachel in her studio tucked away in the loft space of her North London home. We had been aware of Rachel’s work for some time and we were very excited to meet her and select some pieces for Javelin. On arrival with a welcome cup of coffee we took our time to view lots of her works displayed all around the walls. Although produced from a mold each piece is unique due to the variations in colour and texture. As an unexpected treat Rachel invited us up the tall ladder into her studio and demonstrated her techniques. We think the results are just stunning and would make a fabulous addition to any home whether inside or in the garden.
For our Bury store we have selected 3 sizes with the largest being 44x44cm and they are now displayed in our first floor Boutique and are also available on the website. Please do come in and take a look as we know you won’t be disappointed.
Our Botanical Art
