
Installations
"Of the Valley"
Mural designed and painted by Rachel Holderman in collaboration with 2022 EMU New Student Orientation and incoming students
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This mural is one of the largest projects I've worked on in a while, from conception, to design, to finalization and then finally painting. I wanted to design something that was both beautiful and had timeless meaning. While taking a drive through the mountains, I had the idea to go with a visual representation of the beautiful location in which EMU resides. The multi-skyline consists of the Massanutten ridge-line that is visible to the east, a "skyline" of recognizable Harrisonburg buildings, a "skyline" of EMU buildings, ending with an over layer of an eagle and plants. The plants shown are squash, beans, and corn representing the native peoples of this land and the "three sisters" farming method of planting the different seeds together so they can support each other throughout the growing process.
Forest Nursery
Mural designed and painted in February 2023
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This mural was painted in a nursery for a friend of mine. They wanted to create a space that was gender neutral with a whimsical forest feeling. We decided to go with a soft green wall with a single color aspen tree truck design. I created the design on my computer and then referenced my drawing while freehand painting the design onto the wall.