Cyclical and organic, Rideal's work revolves around issues of repetition, scale, colour, photography and paint.

Her first solo exhibition focussed on natural materials (eg. blackberries, beetroot and spinach) used as paint and fibres made into paper. These 3D 'records' developed as installations that were photographed. In 1985, Rideal started working exclusively with the photobooth, working on a number of public art projects and investigating ways of using the photographic strip as a digit within a pre-planed photographic 'jigsaw' literally making light drawings with hand gestures in the photo-booth.

Gradually this working pattern shifted and she began to be more interested in the element of chance. Photographs that were deemed 'incorrect' became interesting for example, a fleeting hand or a shot of drapery caught in motion. Organised chance gave rise to a set of monochrome silk works; The Arras Suite. Rideal now works with a medium format camera and has recently produced bronze sculptures and monotypes.