It must have been in about 1997 that I first discovered artist,
Sara-J.
I was working at the time as marketing manager for a newly formed firm of consulting actuaries and our offices were in the popular
V&A Waterfront and directly opposite the Red Shed, a vast warehouse space housing a variety of crafters and artists.
I trundled off one lunch time, on the hunt for lunch, and found a small stall in the Red Shed selling the most vivid, witty and wildly delicious etchings I’d ever seen. They were created by
Sara-J - and I came home with two.
Indulgence
Tropical AdventureI was at an interesting crossroad in my life and Sara-J's work really spoke to me - and since that time I’ve acquired several more etchings...
Decadent Duck 
Lemon Drops Last year, I finally commissioned Sara-J, to do an oil painting for me. At the same time I asked her a little more about herself and why she paints what she does.
“I paint because I am an artist. I'm inspired by where my life takes me every day and the people I meet and care about. I see the world differently, and feel passionately about aspects of the human condition. I hope that my paintings bring courage and humour to women seeking to express themselves freely, without censorship or oppression. I tend to use humour and colour as tools to mask inhibition and painful experiences, and to reflect pleasure, the joy of life, sexuality, relationships, and family life. My commissioned work often does the same for my collectors. The actual core of my work hinges on the human form. Drawing live models and reflecting real people, and myself, in the images of my work. Of course, if I could express myself in words as I can on canvas, I'd be a writer.”
Favourite Reflection 
Hat Box“Each of my paintings, like the one I've done for you, can be broken down into different elements including the characters, objects, events, etc., depicted.”
Of
Madames De Die, a painting I quietly covet, Sara-J says, “
Madames de Die – like your commission - can be broken down into different elements including the characters, objects, events, etc., depicted. The two ladies on the left - the jewellery shop owner and the notary. Me, the artist, on the right, admiring the scorpion we caught on the way to Xmas dinner, the glasses noted and enjoyed by all. The wine, local and delicious. The rest speaks for itself. But that's the idea. You may also notice other emotional elements. The artist still something of a glamorous outsider, the Madames vaguely unimpressed but nonetheless comfortable, reflecting my own sense of exclusion rather than their warmness, for example.”
Madames De Die 
An exhibition of Sara-J's work in Die, France I observed that over the years her work has changed as she’s moved from etchings to working in rich and vibrant oils.
Sara-J says, “Since coming to the Netherlands to be reunited with my childhood sweetheart, my career has taken on a very different form. I've moved away from mass producing etchings with master printers to focus on working with oils and more intimate viewings and solo exhibitions.”
I noted that one seldom sees her work in galleries to which she responded, “Apart from contacts with a limited number of galleries, my main outlet has been my
website.”
To all my female blog readers, I urge you to hurry over there and take a look around. You will be delighted, amused and inspired because Sara-J knows how to touch the core of a woman, she knows and understands the full experience of being a woman - from the pain and sadness, to the vibrancy and the bodacious, succulent wildness. And oh go on, buy a picture – you know you want to!
My newly commissioned painting...
