Artist Statement

I am deeply passionate about breaking social taboos surrounding emotional and mental health. I work to do this through my mixed media graphite and pastel drawings, community-based discussions, and the written word. Gentle, ethereal, and at times surreal, my hyperrealistic artworks are best described as “Emotional Realism”. 

Each series is founded upon vulnerable conversations held with the participants in my work, covering topics such as emotional intimacy, domesticity, and resilience through trauma. The emotional experiences shared in these conversations are translated into the drawings, which include the participating individual as the model for the piece themselves. To continue conversations beyond the studio, each artwork is paired with a written statement about the experience it depicts along with a question pointed back to the viewer inviting them to engage directly with their own related perspectives.

Through use of figurative realism, a subtle color palette, and concise compositions, the image personifies emotions in a way that can be familiar and accessible to many.  The goal is to create solidarity with others who can relate to the emotional states being depicted, encouraging more transparency, support, and dialogue amongst our peers; partners; families; and communities at large.

There is an ongoing open call to participate in my body of work. If you are interested in learning more about participation, please reach out to me here!

Bio

Sara received her BFA with a dual emphasis in Painting & Drawing and Photography from SF State in 2013. From 2019-21 she studied under the renowned German hyperrealism artist, Dirk Dzimirsky.  She received multiple awards in the 16th International ARC Salon, 1st Grand Prize in the 2022 John Dalton Art Prize, 2nd Place in the Pastel 100 2023, received multiple Honorable Mentions in the Strokes of Genius, and has placed as a finalist in numerous competitions, including ModPortrait, the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, and more. Her work has been featured in national and regional art magazines and books and has been shown in galleries and museums across the globe. She is included in public and private collections internationally and even on the moon, including  The Bennett Collection of Women Realists and The Lunar Codex, The Polaris Collection. Sara is represented by CK Contemporary in San Francisco, CA, and lives and works out of her small studio in a redwood grove in the North Bay hills of Nicasio, CA.

Contact me:

I’d love to hear from you. If you would like to discuss any of my work or participate in one of my ongoing series, please send me an email by clicking here.