Rachael Padilla

A compilation of photos set to music!

Added 2021-08-15 23:16:47 +0000 UTC

I am a self portrait artist. As such, I take a lot of photos. Some photos ultimately become the inspiration and references for paintings. Most though, help my creative process in other ways.

When I saw an abandoned gas station a few days ago, I knew I wanted to photograph there. Abandoned places, disrepair, music, fashion, and architecture, among other things, inspire me. They fuel my creativity. They help me express visual stories.

These are some of my favorite photos taken over two days. Day one, in the golden light of dawn. Day two, in the morning hours of a gray day. Upon leaving the gas station, I came across a concrete foundation, with black and white tiles still neatly arranged on a floor. A few photos were taken there, too. Then I was inspired by the façade of a store front that seemed it better belonged in Mexico.

The slideshow comes together to show the result of sources of inspiration culminated. It's what happens when I pair a broom skirt with a leather and snakeskin jacket adorned with silver and turquoise conchas and bone beads. Or, that same jacket paired with leather chaps. Inspiration of wild west fashion meeting a skeleton of a gas station from America's golden age of road trips.