WHEN artist Rachel Markwick received an email asking if one of her pictures was still available for purchase she assumed the buyer had seen it at a recent exhibition in Gloucestershire.

But on enquiry it turned out the interested purchaser was in sunny Los Angeles, California and had tracked Rachel down on the internet.

“Luckily, her favourite picture, the Owl, was still available,” says Rachel. “It will shortly be flying off to its new home in the USA.”

Like Rachel, the American buyer is from a family who have a keen interest in stamp collecting and fine art.

Stroud-based Rachel has combined those two great passions to great effect.

“I first started making collages some years ago,” says Rachel.

“My parents had been stamp dealers all my life and when my dad passed away we were left with the task of sorting out an awful lot stock.

Rachel has taken part in the Site Open Studios for many years, exhibiting paintings and oil pastel pictures and her work can be seen this weekend, from 11am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Recently she has been focusing on the stamp collages.

“It is certainly a very different art form,” says Rachel. Many people who come to my exhibitions have never before seen anything like it.

“It is only when they study the work closely they realise what I have used to create the image.”

The fusion with her artistic talents and the stamp collections have resulted in some stunning pictures which are now selling the world over.

A couple of orders have recently been dispatched to Italy and Australia.

“I think my dad would have loved what I do now,” says Rachel.

Her subjects are quite wide-ranging.

“I love making pictures of ships,” says Rachel. “But I have also made flags of many countries using their own stamps.”

The Union Jack is of course very popular.

“ I've made many different versions including one for the Queen's Jubilee and one featuring the Beatles,” says Rachel.

Gardens, landmarks and collages inspired by patchwork have also featured in some of her recent work.

“The Colosseum and Leaning Tower of Pisa have created great talking points,” she says.

“ I've visited both and loved the challenge of making them, particularly enjoying the search for people on stamps to make the crowds of tourists.” -

Her Landmark series is ongoing, having also made pictures of the Eiffel Tower, Pyramids and Brandenburg gate.

“ I'm currently tackling Mount Fuji, using mainly Japanese stamps.” Says Rachel.

“ I have many stories to tell based on the stamps I use in my collages and I hope that visitors to my studio always have an interesting experience.”

Rachel’s work is available as greetings cards, prints, canvas and some original work is also for sale.

“I am often asked where I get all the stamps from,” says Rachel. “I think people imagine I have raided valuable stamp collections but I still have stamps going back to my own collection from a young age.

The national flags collages which were exhibited at the Gloucester Guildhall in March this year brought in many enquiries about other country’s flags including the flag of Jamaica.

“I have started making this beautiful black, yellow and green flag to add to the portfolio.

“I love to include iconic images in the flags so I couldn’t possibly leave out Bob Marley,” she says.

Unfortunately stamps commemorating the famo9us reggae star were lacking from Rachel’s stock books but she was lucky enough to receive through the post just what she had been looking for – a set of stamps issued in 1995 on the 50th anniversary of the musician’s birth.

“SO I can now add the final touches to that one,” says Rachel.

Other collages include using the stamps of the celebrated Jamaican bobsled team, the first Jamaicans to take part in a winter Olympics event.

They competed in Calgary in 1988 and the film Cool Runnings told their inspiring story.

Rachel is also working with 1968 cricket stamps issued to commemorate the MCC tour of the West Indies.

“I remember having these in my own childhood stamp collection. The vibrant green of the pitch against the palm trees and blue sky are a striking memory. “

Rachel recently took part in Stroud’s Site Festival and Open Studios which runs until May 31 and she will be at the Tetbury MayFair Art exhibition at the Dolphins Hall from Saturday, May 24 -26.

For more examples of Rachel’s work go to: rachelmarkwick.co.uk