Welcome back to our blog, and welcome to our first artist profile! In these articles, we’ll introduce you to some of the artists we’re lucky enough to know and work with - helping them produce prints of their work, perform digital touchups here and there - you name it, we do it.
(Speaking of, if you have a piece you need prints of or want some digital adjustments made to, contact us at fineart@capcityrepro.com!)
Today, we’d like to introduce you to one Mid-Michigan artist we’ve been lucky enough to work with during the past five years: Sarah Hillman!
If you live in the Lansing area, there’s a good chance you’ve seen her painting on your way to or from work.
Sarah was selected for the 2023/2024 Art In The Sky program, which features her piece, “Alice’s Secret.”
Her work is wide ranging and crosses into multiple formats including illustration, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and pebble art, which she sells in galleries and giftshops around the state, as well as on her website.
For the most part, Sarah spends a bulk of her creative time as a painter, making a literal splash in watercolor and acrylic. “I used to be afraid of watercolor, but I found my courage over the years.”
Among the many subjects and ideas that inspire her work, a handful of themes and subjects stand out. She is drawn (pun intended) to creating images of nature and femininity, highlighting characters from cultures around the world - and from other worlds. She also uses her art to profile historical figures and keep their image and impact alive during transformative times like ours.
Sarah was born in South Africa before growing up in Namibia. “All of my work as a teenager was angry stuff that will never see the light of day! I was very into sword and sandal fantasy novels, so my art was modeled off of that. If I have any of [that artwork] left, it’s in a dark drawer - and it’ll stay there!”
She permanently moved to the US when she was 18 and currently resides in Michigan with her family, working as a professional artist and author. (She has published two children’s books, “Shayla McPushyPants” and “Maggie the Monster Master,” and has a third book she hopes to complete and publish later this year. (We’ll be keeping an eye out for it, Sarah!)
Recently, we talked with Sarah to discuss her art, where it comes from, and what’s next for her. “I have been making art since I was old enough to hold a pencil. My mother said she gave me crayons and paper when I was two, and I pretty much never needed a babysitter ever again.”
What defines your style and creativity?
“I use pebbles to make pictures of people enjoying daily life and celebrating special moments. A lot of my pebble pictures are either of little people gardening or walking their dogs or hiking or spending time with friends. I use ink, pencil, watercolor, and acrylic to explore nature and our connection to it. I draw and paint a lot of birds, insects, cell structures, fungi, and portraits of people integrated into flowers and bugs and other features of the natural world. I use the digital format to create the portrait series of famous folks, and to illustrate my children's books.”
What is your process?
“I wish I had a process - it sounds so professional and well planned. Mostly, I just try to make art as often as I can. I have an office at home, and I try to keep it clean and organized so it doesn't turn into a dumpster fire. Trying to make a living as an artist requires a lot of consistency (which I am super not good at) and dedication. Mostly I just try to make stuff every day whenever I have time.”
What art or artists inspire you?
“I know it probably makes me a little boring and predictable, but one of my favorite paintings is Van Gogh's “Starry Night.” But I'm also obsessed with the work of Alphonse Mucha, Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, Ernst Haeckle, Maxfield Parrish, Marianne North. Honestly, we could be here for days. I love so many different artists!”
Are there any projects in development you can tell us about?
“I am currently picking away at a series called “HumanNATURE” that explores the sacred connection between humanity and nature, and the role we play in its progression, protection, and preservation. I want to create a collection that showcases multiple different mediums and styles, but every piece represents some aspect of the connections humans have to the greater web of life and explores the idea that these connections are actually what make us sacred, or holy - not the idea that we have 'dominion' over nature or are somehow superior to it.”
Do you have any exhibitions coming up?
“I will be doing a few shows and festivals this year. The Fairytale Festival at the Turner Dodge Mansion on June 29th. And I do the Art On the Rocks Fine Art Show every year up in Marquette.”
We truly appreciate Sarah taking the time to talk with us, and for giving us access to much of her unique, powerful, and well-crafted artistry. If you want to check it out for yourself (and maybe place an order?), you can find it all on Facebook, Instagram, or Sarah’s website.
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Thank you for stopping by the blog and we hope you enjoyed learning about Sarah and her work. Come back next week when we’ll be highlighting another regional artist!
In the meantime, if you have any printing needs (be they artistic, architectural, or anything else), contact us for a quote, email us (fineart@capcityrepro.com), or stop on by our shop in Old Town! Have a great weekend!