Rachel Melchers is an Australian artist, living and working in the country town of Mudgee in central west NSW. She paints bold, expressive semi-abstract landscapes in oil and mixed media which are drawn from her emotional and sensory response to a time and place. Surfaces are built up in layers using transparent washes and textured opaque paint with linework scratched and drawn into the layers. Rachel paints intuitively, with one mark leading to the next and the painting often taking on a life of its own.
Rachel was born in Melbourne in 1975 and later moved with her family to the coastal city of Newcastle, NSW - it is here that she spent her formative years. Creative as a child, Rachel spent her growing years making and designing whatever she could. After high school she completed a Visual Arts degree at The University of Newcastle but soon realised a more conventional role would be required to earn a living, and so her artistic passions were sidelined for several years. It was after moving briefly to Broken Hill (2010-2012) with her young family that she once again picked up a paintbrush and since then her artistic journey has continued to grow. Now, settled in Mudgee, Rachel dedicates her days to her practice, painting from her light-filled studio overlooking the back garden.
Rachel has held a number of solo shows at regional galleries including The Corner Store Gallery in Orange, Rosby Gallery in Mudgee and Blackstone Gallery in Newcastle. In 2025 Rachel also participated in The Other Art Fair in Sydney and The Affordable Art Fair in Sydney (with The Corner Store Gallery). Rachel’s work is held in private collections both in Australia and internationally and her work has been recognised in multiple art awards.