Ahead of her upcoming show IN + OUT at Of Cabbages and Kings, Sarah Beaton talks through the processes that go into creating her bold expressive brush strokes.
What is your artistic weapon of choice? Pencil, pen, paintbrush, digital….
I love the bleeding of water and paint – watercolour is probably my favourite.
How long have you been painting for? When did you start out?
I have enjoyed painting and drawing from a very young age. My dad was an art teacher so art was always a celebrated skill to explore in my family.
Your pictures evoke landscapes. Do you start with that in mind or do you let the brushstrokes inspire you?
I am inspired by nature and find it to be my escape from the busy London life. I don’t usually have a particular image in mind. I enjoy being spontaneous and seeing what develops from the brushstrokes.
Where did the idea for including the figures come from?
I was working in my studio listening to the Damian Rice album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy. On the album cover, there is a series of figures on a large wall with a ladder. I loved the illustrative nature of it and decided to try and make my own little images.
You use a deep dark blue in your work, what drew you to that colour?
I love water and blue, for me, is the most calming of colours. It can be intense but also very tranquil. I enjoy the extremes of it.
You are also a theatre designer, do the two influence each other?
I feel they cross fertilise. Designing for theatre is all about telling stories through a visual narrative. I work in scale all the time and I feel this feeds into my watercolours: finding stories and compositions within an abstract image.
What is your favourite takeaway?
I love Thai food. So anything vegan and Thai is a winner.
You can see more of  Sarah’s work on our website or in the shop. Feel free to pop by on Tuesday 14th August from 7-9pm to meet her in person, view the work up on the walls and enjoy a glass.
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