Rachel Keebler is a 1978 BFA graduate of Boston University where she studied with Don Beaman. Concurrently she worked for and learned from James Joy, an association which has continued to this day. She has painted scenery since high school, but started concentrating on it in college, realizing it as a career two years out of college. This year marks her 27th year as a professional. In 1981 Rachel was accepted through the practical exam into USA 829 while she was teaching at the North Carolina School for the Arts (NCSA). During her first year in the union she taught at Temple University. She has taught Seminars since then at NCSA, the University of Michagan, Kalamazoo, USITT Chicago, USITT Chesepeake, and has spent a Quarter teaching and charging at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts.

Highlights of Union work include working at Nolan's, Sander-Gossards, Showtech, Scaena Studios, and Scenic Arts Studios. At those studios she worked on more shows than she can remember; those that she CAN include Doonesbury, the Real Thing, Baby, La Cage Aux Folles, 9 1/2 Weeks, Chaplin and K2. She was in the USA 829 union for 19 years.

At Cobalt, there have been many notable projects, including the Miami Nutcracker, the Chicago Tribune Nutcracker, Tokyo Einstein on the Beach, 13 years of Hasty Pudding, drops for Baryshnikov Productions and Twyla Tharp, 9 years of Manhattan School of Music operas, backdrops for the Broadway production of State Fair and many other happy customers.

Designers who know and like her work include Jose Varona, Ming Cho Lee, Santo Loquasto, Tony Walton, James Joy, Maxine Klein, Campbell Baird, Howard Jones, Mark Pirolo, Tony Fanning, John Ezell, Jim Yeomans, and Jim Noone.
Rachel also paints commissions for Historic Decorative projects, and has worked in the Ohio Statehouse, Montpelier in Maryland, the Skylight Theatre in Minneapolis and has done Graining, Marbling and Floorcloths in various residences around the country.

Howard Jones left Cobalt Studios in 1993. Since then he has been pursuing a freelance career as a scenic designer. Recently he returned to the North Carolina School for the Arts to teach scenic painting. Since Howard left there have been three other people who have worked with Rachel — Diane Fargo, David Brandon and Kathryn Sharp. All three have moved on from Cobalt Studios to pursue careers as freelance scenic painters.