We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Lorentz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sarah, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
This has looked different throughout my art career as each season of life had a different focus that shaped the series I worked on. Realizing where I could make an impact in my sphere of influence is what gave me purpose.
I had the opportunity to study both art and psychology at the university level, and I first found my voice at this intersection of art and science. My first series was figurative paintings which elicited a range of emotional responses and prompted dialogues about trauma and healing. While I have continued this series and it has evolved as my own experiences expanded over time, my focus has more recently shifted to landscapes.
With landscapes, it took longer to uncover my purpose in creating. Landscape paintings tend to be accessible to a broad audience as they are easily seen as beautiful, but this can lead to landscapes being seen as solely commercial or decorative. Again, I found the solution was in painting what I know and what is important to me. My nocturne alleyway series depicts overlooked spaces that have a familiar sense of nostalgia. Alleys are a stand in for the city in the way they are often defined by their worst characteristics. But cities, communities, and alleys are full of opposing traits, good and bad. I depict the spaces as someone who lives in and loves the city and appreciates the alley as a place synonymous with home. When I talk to people about my work, I have the opportunity to connect over this shared experience and inspire renewed commitment to the continual work of building community. My paintings are about reclaiming these spaces and narratives and my purpose is to advocate for the kind of world I want to live in.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
For the past five years I have been full time with my art; I lead classes, sell my original work through galleries, display at fine art fairs, produce solo exhibitions, take commissions, and paint for live events. I describe myself as a contemporary landscape painter. I paint both in the studio and ‘plein air’, outdoors, from direct observation. My work stands out because of my process of painting over fluorescent base color to achieve paintings with a sense of light, glow, intense color. I am a full spectrum painter, using every tube of paint to achieve vibrant, clean colors, and I’m more interested in capturing the emotional feeling of a place over direct representationalism. My work is also different because of the places I paint; I document urban life as someone who truly loves the city I live in, creating with the purpose of bringing people together and inspiring community.
As for what’s new? I have had a really busy year so far; this spring I completed a residency at the research garden in Miami, Florida, Montgomery Botanical Center. Later this year I will be exhibiting the work in the St Louis area, so stay tuned for details! Coming up I have a studio sale next month (July 26, details will be posted on my social media pages), work in the Rivers Project Plein Air Competition at the Great River Museum (opening reception July 12), and I’ll be at several local Art Fairs (Queeny Art Fair in August and Shaw Historic Art Fair in October).
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?
Picking just three things that made the biggest difference for me, I would say finding my voice as an artist in terms of style and subject; finding my people, both my support group and my audience; and finding my rhythm in terms of work/life balance and creative momentum.
My best advice is just to keep making art continuously. The more you make the more you understand what you like and, just as importantly, what you don’t like. This is how you find your voice as an artist. Equally important is the rest of your lived experiences which are needed to channel meaning into your art. Find the other outlets where you can engage with the world and grow other skills, knowledge, and interests. For me, getting involved with the Stream Team citizen scientist program and volunteering with the Great Rivers Greenway organization were great outlets to learn conservationist skills and engage with a great community of likeminded people.
Sometimes you get lucky and you can join a group that offers the support and feedback that you need, sometimes you have to get creative and pull people together yourself. Start by looking in the places your art takes you, whether that’s gallery exhibits, outdoor sketching, art fairs, or competitions. Give as much as you take from these groups. Finding your people, both peers and an audience take time so be deliberate about showing up and putting in the effort to make these connections.
Work/life balance looks different for everyone. Try not to get caught up with what everyone else is doing, because everyone has their unique own set of constraints. These parameters aren’t static, so it’s good to periodically reevaluate and make adjustments. My own career has looked different every year as I decide what areas to invest in; this year I’m traveling more for shows and residencies. It’s important to find a sustainable rhythm both in terms of production and income, but also in terms of creative momentum. Intentionally creating space to rest, learn, and find inspiration helps me to consistently make meaningful work.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
It’s not just one person, but the whole community of artists I am part of. I feel lucky to have made my start here in St Louis; the art scene is so interconnected and even after just a few years, I feel established. Participating in plein air events and art fairs, I have multiple groups of peers and mentors who have been so supportive both in terms of encouragement, friendship, and in practical help–showing up when I need it. I try to give back to the community and have served as a mentor for an Emerging Artist Program, given artist talks for local high schools and colleges, and volunteered with the Great Rivers Greenway.
That being said, a number of artists have mentored me over the years that I’d like to specifically thank. Sandra McKenzie Schmitt of McKenzie River Pottery was my first artist mentor. I interned in her ceramic studio from high school through college, learning from her creative process, her business model, and her commitment to community building. Through my BFA studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, I had wonderful mentors including Prof. Jane Barrow, Prof. Brigham Dimick, Prof. John Denhouter, and Prof. Jason Bly. In recent years, Shawn Cornell through the Missouri Plein Air Painters Association and Sharon Spiller through the Saint Louis Art Fair Emerging Artist Program have been especially influential in my art career, offering ongoing support and years of experience in their fields.
St Louis also has some incredible organizations that support artists in the region. I participated as an emerging artist in the Saint Louis Art Fair two years ago and this was pivotal in helping me reach a level where I can now apply to the most competitive events in the nation. The Regional Art Center offers grants and training, both of which have made a tremendous impact in my career, allowing me to take advantage of new opportunities such as residencies and equipping me with new skills such as artist-focused business training. It’s great that St Louis has these resources available; I encourage local artists to take advantage of these programs to support their careers.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sarahlorentz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorentz_sarah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahLorentzArt
- Other: https://www.sarahlorentzshop.com/
Image Credits
The artist profile image and the 1st image in the additional group were both by photographer Josh Aronson with full permission by the artist to use for publications. Photographer’s website: https://josharonson.us/
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