Rachel Gillen was born and raised in Mt. Healthy, Ohio, a one square mile town just north of Cincinnati. After graduating high school in 2002, Rachel attended Miami University for 2 years where she earned her Associates Degree in Fine Art, before making the decision to transfer to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Rachel's influence stems from her background and the images that surround her every day. The reflections in some of her paintings are a way of expressing her take on a large city that can sometimes seem overwhelming. Rachel's most recent work is exploring her feelings about her friends and family, their children, and lower to middle class American life.

This award winning artist has been chosen as a finalist in the Artists' Magazine Annual Competition for the Best Art of 2007 and she has participated in group shows from San Francisco to her hometown of Cincinnati. Her work is quickly being added to private collections across the US, as well as corporate collections such as Pabst Blue Ribbon Company. Rachel is currently pursuing her BFA in painting, which she will earn in May of 2009.