Oil Painting

Sarah Field

Sarah Field is a Brisbane based emerging artist whose practice explores the beauty of nature and the peace that can be found in truly looking at and appreciating natural forms. She paints in both oils and watercolours.

Artist Profile

Drawing from her childhood as a classical pianist, where she lived in the romantic world of Chopin and Rachmaninov, her expression on the canvas reflects both the delicacy and attention to detail she learnt through classical music. Flowers are always present in Sarah’s studio, where she carefully arranges each still life scene before beginning to paint.

Sarah often finds herself painting flowers, shells and intimate scenes from her own life and home. She finds solace in the beauty of nature and a sense of calmness when exploring the colours and details found in natural objects.

Sarah has been a finalist in the Lethbridge Small Scale Art Awards for the past 3 years, a finalist in the John Villiers Outback Art Prize 2024, a finalist in the Everyday Group Exhibition at the Corner Store Gallery, was awarded 2nd place in The Moreton Bay Region Art Prize, and has shown in Italy as part of the international watercolour exhibition ‘Fabriano In Acquerello’ 2023.

Artist Interview

What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I work with both oils and watercolours in the studio. Both mediums I like for their ability to blend and layer to create the contemporary realist works I strive for. For example, when I paint flowers in oils, I work mostly wet on wet, and will spend an entire day painting a single flower – this allows me the ability to portray the softness and delicacy of a flower on the canvas.

How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

I arrange all my still life scenes here in my home studio. I find having fresh flowers in the studio to be so inspiring and the flowers will inspire the work. I will then either arrange the scene by a window or use warm lamps and candles to create light, shadows and interest to the work.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

I'm a mum and also work part-time in radiography as well as being a painter – so it's a home studio for me all the way! I have created a studio at home that is set up with desks for watercolour paintings and easels for the oil paintings, and also houses my collections of vases, tea cups and shells that I use in the works.