Describing her work as magical semi-realism, self-taught Kāpiti artist Sarah Bell started drawing as a kid. Now in her 30’s Sarah says her painting skills and style developed over time.
“I’ve become better at anatomy, at handling light and shadow and the shape of colours. I’m constantly evolving. Just slowly. You should always strive to better yourself as an artist. Stagnation is the death of creativity,” she says.
Acrylic on canvas is Sarah’s favourite paint medium. Her painting process, from the initial idea to the finished piece begins with brainstorming.
“I explore and gather references online, which I print. Then I decide what colour will dominate the painting and paint the entire canvas that colour, as well as the edges.
Once it’s dry, I use thinned out paint, usually white, to sketch in the broader ideas of the painting. After my sketch is dry, usually the next day, I block in colours, and then leave it alone for another day. Subsequent days are spent on detail work, starting with the sky.”
By sticking to limited colour palettes Sarah creates powerful otherworldly landscapes that her fictional character Hollyhock the fox and friends inhabit. She deliberately over-exaggerates light on the subjects of her paintings for emphasis.
Sarah is a prolific painter – there are more than 40 works in the Hollyhock series – her neurodiversity assists her focus. Sarah is also teaching herself taxidermy which gives her a deeper understanding of how animals’ bodies work, which in turn informs her painting.
WHAT: Paintings by Sarah Bell; Curated from Sarah Bell’s Hollyhock series by Linda Niccol
WHERE: Roderick and Gillian Deane Art Space, Paraparaumu Library, Iver Trask Place, Paraparaumu
WHEN: May 30 – June 12, 2025
