We recently connected with Sarah Dean and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
For me, the answer always comes back to horses. I’ve always had such a deep love for these animals and their relationships to each other, to their riders, and to the land they run on. I feel like I’m never at a loss for what to paint next with horses as my inspiration, and I think that’s the sign that I’m pursuing the right dream.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Born and raised in Colorado, my lifelong love for drawing began at a young age. Have been influenced by the western landscapes and lifestyle of my home state, I want my work to showcase the beauty of the horse from working cowponies on cattle ranches to wild herds roaming free.
Through training under various professional artists, I’ve worked to both hone my skills as well as develop an authentic personal style. I split my time equally between creating custom commissions for my clients, and creating original oil painting collections. I find this work incredibly fulfilling, and I’m so grateful to be able to share my work with collectors who love horses as much as I do,
Currently, I’m creating several pieces for Cowgirl Artists of America’s upcoming show, Women’s Work. This show is focused on telling the stories of real women of the west, to expand the world of western art to include their meaningful and nuanced contributions. The show opens August 2nd at the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art, and I’m honored to have my art included alongside so many other amazing female artists!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
First, I think learning the basic fundamental rules of art is incredibly important – and even more important is knowing when to break those rules! A huge turning point in my artistic journey was learning to leave behind the strict rules of realism and take a more stylized approach.
Second would be my riding horses personally. I’m able to use a single brushstroke for a muscle or a piece of tack because I know exactly where everything goes and how it all fits together. Familiarity with the subject matter always shows in the end result.
Third would be getting comfortable with social media and learning how to effectively reach the folks who would enjoy my art. I would still paint for myself if I was the only one to see it, but I would much rather be able to share with like minded people.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I’m a list-maker! I feel much better when I get all of the tasks swirling around my head down onto paper, and then it all seems a bit more manageable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sarahdeanarts.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahdeanarts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahdeanarts
Image Credits
I took all the photos except the full body shot of myself in front of the grey background. That photo was taken by Jacob Wallace from Shipist and I have permission to use it.
