October 2026 2-D Featured Artist Rachel Holmes

Rachel Holmes is a Southwest Florida artist based in Cape Coral.  Imported from England and seasoned in Texas, her work has always been shaped by the life unfolding around her.  After moving to Florida in 2022, she fell in love with the region’s vivid landscapes and wildlife, discovering mangroves, manatees, and quiet drama of coastal life.   With over 20 years of painting, and 3 years of dedicated fine-arts practice, she looks at Florida-scapes with fresh eyes.  Her subjects and how she paints them are guided by the changing rhythms, and ebbs and flows of what surrounds her. 

Rachel explores coastal habitats, shorebirds, sunsets that anchor her evenings – and 2 cats who become unlikely muses.  Her work blends sincerity with a playful curiosity, elevating the familiar into subjects worthy of contemplation, humor and affection. 

Rachel paints to spark joy, to make people smile, and to share the wonder she feels for the living beings and landscapes of her adopted home.  She hopes to inspire, delight, and encourage connection and meaning in the everyday creatures that surround us.