Rachael Koppendrayer

capturing Minnesota home and heritage in colored pencil

  • A little girl in traditional Swedish folkdräkt shyly stands by a black Dala horse
    Dala Horse: Don't Be Shy
  • Three skunk kits go sniffing out trouble
    Sniffing Out Trouble
  • Little red dala foal runs alongside a bay appaloosa mare
    Dala Horse: To Run with Endurance
  • two chickadee birds rest on a snowy branch with red berries
    Black-Capped Chickadees
  • Christmas scene of a Red dala horse and Norwegian fjord as they pull a runaway sleigh with the yule goat and tomte in the sled
    Dala Horse Runaway Sleigh
  • Baby bird loon stretches his wings as mama loon looks on, while its sibling rides on her back
    Loon: Born for the Water

Let me share with you what captures my heart and imagination . . . and maybe it will capture yours, too.

I’m Rachael Koppendrayer—artist, illustrator, writer, and lover of stories.

Raised on the small dairy farm in central Minnesota that my great-grandfather established when he emigrated from Sweden, I grew up surrounded by field and pasture, woods and swamp—all ripe for exploration and inspiration. Though I have traveled the world since, it is the images of my home and heritage that continue to inspire my artwork most.

More About Rachael
Let me share with you what captures my heart and imagination . . . and maybe it will capture yours, too.
children's book cover of kids with rainbow trees

Latest Children's Book

Written by Angela Henderson and illustrated by Rachael Koppendrayer, Isaac & Izzy's Magical Maples continues the adventures of a pair of friends who want to give back to the tree that brought them together.

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