SCULPTURES
LET'S FLAMINGLE
When the UMA was asking for submissions for the next year of sculptures to be deployed, Rachel applied again with her concept of "Let's Flamingle", a concrete and stainless steel sculpture designed for fish to hide and thrive topped with flamingoes.
After being selected, she got to work at her dad's shop again! The concrete was a bit of a learning-curve, but the heavy pillars were soon set and the flamingoes placed atop to complete the piece.
THE GOLDEN FLIGHT
The concept of "The Golden Flight" was accepted for the Monarch Art Trail, a permanent art installation located in Watersound, FL. Why is it named the Golden Flight? The design is based off of the Golden Spiral, which is created from the Golden Ratio, a mathematical equation that happens to occur in nature. Some examples of this are the curves made within the growth of succulent leaves, the shape of a hurricane, or the spiral you see in a cross-section of a nautilus shell.
Before applying to the Monarch Art Trail, Rachel knew she wanted to use the Golden Spiral concept in the design. She created 10 spirals and attached them to each other to create a shape that could be interpreted by the viewer. Whether you see wings, waves, or shells, her hope is the Golden Flight is intriguing to view.
Again, Rachel built the sculpture with the help of her dad at his shop in Dothan, AL. After marking and shearing the stainless steel, she formed the spirals by hand, similar to the way she made the flamingos on the Let's Flamingle sculpture. A base was created, then the wings were welded onto it.
You can view The Golden Flight on Watersound Parkway S, connecting Hwy 98 to 30A in Walton County, Florida.
THE GRAYT PINEAPPLE IN INLET BEACH
In 2024, the Cultural Arts Alliance commissioned Rachel to create a replica of the original Grayt Pineapple sculpture that resides in the Underwater Museum of Art to be placed at the pedestrian underpass in Inlet Beach.
Rachel was about 6 months pregnant when creating this sculpture, which added a slight challenge when working in the hot shop, but the sculpture was completed and resides on the north side of Hwy 98 at the pedestrian underpass by 30Avenue.
This is the first piece Rachel created since having children and loves that her oldest lovingly refers to it as "Mama's Big Pineapple".
THE GRAYT PINEAPPLE
Rachel's first sculpture, The Grayt Pineapple, was created for the nation's first Underwater Museum of Art. The UMA is placed off the shores of Grayton Beach, which is where the spelling Grayt derives from.
Rachel's dad owns a metal fab shop in Dothan, AL. Over the years, he had given Rachel welding lessons. When the call-to-artists was announced for the UMA, Rachel knew she could utilize her dad's shop and knowledge to build a sculpture if accepted.
After submitting the concept for the Grayt Pineapple, Rachel was ecstatic to be selected! Within a few months, The Grayt Pineapple was born in all of her stainless steel glory!
