18 - Annabella - 5

Another full page colour illustration from 'Annabella'.

Rachel has employed a major change in tactic in this night-time illustration. The darkness is emphasised by using black Indian ink for the drawing and a blue background wash over the whole picture. This shows the speeding night express to Aberdeen in a scene that encompasses everything stereotypical of Scottish landscape imagery – the rail viaduct over the river valley with the mountains behind – and of course Rachel's inevitable 'signature' rabbit. Interestingly, the heavily emphasised foreground tree is closely reminiscent of Rachel's uncle George Wilson's often ethereal treatment of windswept trees.

Plate size 235 mm x 183 mm.