Anderson, Rachel

I have been fascinated with the world of fantasy since I was little, when my parents began reading me books like Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. From then on my imagination was incurably overactive.

At an early age I began attempting to bring all the characters and stories in my head to life on paper. But it was not until about 2004 that I actually began to really learn the basics and improve my skill to become a professional artist.

I have always been fascinated with the spiritual realm - what it might look like if we could see it and so forth - so that influences my art a great deal. I love nature, and all the beauty that lives within it. The idea that there is an unseen world of magical creatures that are interconnected with nature and suffer if we harm it is very inspirational to my work. Our world can be sad and cruel at times, and I hope my artwork can bring some joy and magic back into it.

I am also greatly inspired by turn-of-the-century illustrators like Arthur Rackham; Pre-Raphaelites, Neo-Classicists, and Romanticists like Waterhouse and Bouguereau; styles like Art Nouveau; and modern fantasy artists like Brian Froud and Kinuko Craft. The list of artists I admire could go on and on.