Hi, I’m Rebecca Bookwalter, but you can call me Bec.
Welcome! Here’s a little bit about me and what I do…
I’m a multidisciplinary artist and designer living in Pennsylvania. I specialize in colorful florals, abstracts, and figurative paintings and drawings. I’m passionate about creating and exploring different mediums within my creative process and have an extensive background in various art mediums including ceramics, sculpture, photography, painting, fabric arts, and more.
As a process-oriented artist, experimenting and learning are essential to my creation process. Nature is my best teacher and my constant source of inspiration. Most of my work is inspired at least in some small way by flowers and nature. My process involves research and spontaneity, and my work celebrates the beauty and complexity of the natural world. I believe art has the power to evoke emotions and cultivate a greater appreciation of our world, and in doing so helps us connect in a deeper and more meaningful way. I hope my artwork evokes the same for you.
You can find my current work in my online shop. If you want to view some of my past artwork and design projects you can check out my portfolios by clicking one of the buttons below. Thank you so much for your interest in my art and my journey!
Here’s more of my story…
I grew up in a small town in Northern Pennsylvania, and from a young age, I was fascinated with nature. I loved observing the natural world around me. I collected rocks and seashells, helped my Mom with her flower gardens, and started photographing and drawing the world around me. I was blessed to grow up in a beautiful area with a river in my backyard and spend many summers traveling to beautiful places. My interests have always been mainly creative and artistic, from dancing, painting, singing, acting, and playing music, to baking, cooking, and designing. For me, the process of creating is one of self-discovery, self-expression, and connection. It’s an immersive experience, translating my connections to nature and my emotions in a tangible way. Art enables me to express what I don’t have words to express and is a way for me to work through complex emotions.
I’m formally trained in both Studio Arts and Graphic Design. I earned a BFA in Studio Art with a Concentration in Three-Dimensional Art, specializing in Ceramics and Pottery, with a minor in Art History. I also took most of the Two-Dimensional courses and especially loved all my painting and photography courses. I also earned an AA in Graphic Design and won several awards for my design projects. Over the years, I’ve done design work for a few clients, but mainly design for myself. I love using my creative skills in as many ways as possible, and love learning as much as I can along the way!
Currently, I work out of my bright and airy home studio in South Central Pennsylvania. I enjoy gardening, flower arranging, taking care of a house full of plants, cooking and baking, reading, visiting botanical gardens and art museums, watching dancing, singing, and cooking shows, drinking tea, walking by the creek near my home, and just relaxing in nature whenever I can.
Chronic illness is a part of my life, and I try to use my creative superpowers to help adapt and thrive with the challenges my health issues present. This is why in recent years I have pivoted away from more physically demanding mediums like pottery, and have been focusing more on painting and drawing.
No matter what’s going on in my life, flowers bring me so much joy and hope. Whenever possible I purchase and arrange fresh flowers for my home. They often serve as inspiration for my art, whether as a direct source for more representational art or as inspiration for abstracted artwork. I’m especially inspired by their colors and textures. As Claude Monet said, “I must have flowers, always, and always.”
I have experienced the power of art. I’ve had incredibly moving and memorable experiences in my life when encountering art. I personally create art as an expression, an exploration of process, and as a way to learn more about nature and myself. When creating, I don’t think about how others will respond to it, but I am immensely grateful and humbled when people are moved by my art. I hope that you can find something in my artwork that speaks to you, and reminds you of the beauty and hope in our world.
From The Studio Journal Blog
“I must have flowers, always, and always.”
— Claude Monet
Sharing my struggles with depression and chronic illness, and how they affect my ability to be creative and make art. Recognizing how depression has shown up in my art over the years, while also acknowledging that it has stifled my creativity and process as well.