Calling all creatives! It's time for our April edition of our Artist of the Month blog. From breathtaking painters to skilled illustrators, this blog series celebrates talented artists that we have had the pleasure of collaborating with. So whether you're an artist yourself or simply appreciate the beauty of art, this blog is for you. Let's take a moment to immerse ourselves in the world of art and be inspired by the incredible works of our featured artists.
This month, we introduce you to Devon-based oil painter Sally Lancaster, who creates stunning landscapes, figurative art and animal portraits. We've been in touch with Sally to find out more about her and her craft...
Q. Where have you found inspiration lately?
A. Pretty much everywhere, and especially where I live. I'm extremely lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country and the river and sea bring a sense of calm and peace and freshness.
Q. Is there a piece of art or a project that you are particularly excited about right now?
A. I only started working on landscapes last year and I had the great opportunity of working on a large commissioned beachscape. That painting helped me to truly realise my love for painting local river and beach scenes.
Q. What kinds of tools or references do you like to use when creating artwork?
A. I work from photos as I'm a realism artist and because I love getting stuck into details, I can then zoom in to the photos on my computer monitor to see every little thing.
Q. What artists or artworks (from your life or art history) do you admire or consider influential to your work & why?
A. To be honest, it changes depending on the subject I'm enjoying painting at the time. I like to be inspired by fellow artists who are quite similar in style and at the moment, Renato Muccillo, who is an incredible landscape artist, is someone I hugely admire as he shows just what can be done in realism with a landscape and produces incredibly meticulous paintings.
Q. What advice do you have for other new or aspiring artists?
A. If you want to make a career out of your art, you need to equally learn the business side of things as well as the art side. It's not easy and there's a lot of thinking outside of the box, but I luckily enjoy learning about the business side of things. And as for the art, just keep practising. Watch how other artists work. We're lucky nowadays that we have the internet and social media, so there are free learning tools available. Find an artist you admire and is similar to your style, and see if you can pick up any tips if you're struggling in certain areas.
Q. Professionally, what has been your biggest achievement so far?
A. I was really proud of the large commissioned seascape from last year. It was a very new to me subject and also one of my largest commissions to date, and it was, firstly, an honour to know the customer trusted me to produce the painting, and secondly, a really interesting painting to work on with lots of new techniques and colours to learn.
Q. What is your first memory of creating art?
A. I was just always drawing and painting, so I can't really remember when it first started. I used to ride when I was younger and I can remember drawing horses from an early age as I got drawn in by their beauty and power.
Q. How do you spend your time when you’re not creating artwork?
A. I love the outdoors and peace and quiet so I try to go camping quite regularly and then I'll head off for a day, exploring the countryside. This also helps provide me with reference pics for future paintings!
Q. What work do you most enjoy doing?
A. Luckily, the art I produce is so varied from painting to painting, that I enjoy pretty much every painting equally.
Q. What is your dream project?
A. I started working on landscapes at a small scale last year but I would love to work on some huge paintings. Sadly, finding the customers to buy the paintings doesn't currently make that feasible but I will continue to dream!
It's always such a joy to discover and connect with fellow creatives like Sally! We feel so inspired by her beautiful oil paintings and contagious passion for art. If you want to find out more about Sally and shop her amazing art, head on over to her website and Instagram. And don't forget to stay tuned for next month's edition!