Artists' Statement

In the mysterious surrealistic paintings of Sarah Teasdale there is a bright jewel-like quality to the colors used and the images portrayed—a cast of unique characters and landscapes. Where do these images come from? Are they delicious dreams that capture a secret world? In each painting, one is caught in a particular moment; one waits for a figure to speak or some nefarious activity about to commence in a dark brooding woods.

Sarah's paintings are very much about color and a quest for atmosphere. She often limits the palette to one color to increase its strength, as well as showcases bright hues against black spaces to make pigments glow. Sarah believes in color psychology and tries to create a sense of ease by the use of color in her paintings.

Sarah receives inspiration for her subject matter from a myriad of sources. A focus of her work over recent years has been the exploration of Victorian era life and society.  Sarah is drawn to the mood that is created in Gothic literature, as well as the imagination and fantasy conveyed in its architecture and style. Sarah's ideal environment is a parlor in a Victorian manor—richly colored wallpaper, velvet curtains, and streaming light through a stained glass window in a dimly lit room. Books like "Jane Eyre" and the contemporary novel "The Ghost Writer" have been sources of inspiration for her more recent paintings.

Links:

Ann Toebbe

Ulrika Wärmling

Mark Takamichi Miller

Kimberly Trowbridge

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