Sarah Nelson

Based in Rye on the south east coast of England, Sarah Nelson takes inspiration for her painting and printmaking from the windswept landscape of her shingle and salt marsh environment. Sarah works with many media but is passionate about both the fluidity of ink and watercolour on paper, which she uses in her drawing, painting and printmaking.

“My work is an evolving exploration of expression within mark making, how the movement and application of paint or ink on a surface can capture and represent a feeling or sense of place.

A move to a nature reserve in East Sussex in 2015 with its wide open, dramatic spaces captured my imagination and inspired my passion for drawing. Whenever I start to draw or paint, it is the essence or energy of the subject I’m aiming to recreate and express. I’m attracted instantly by a dramatic curve or a divide of the landscape and use strong, bold gestural lines to represent this. I like that ink is not only fluid but also permanent; the mark that is made is here to stay. The pandemic has made me braver. I want my art to communicate the forms I see and how I feel within the world. My recent cactus drawings are most representative of this and also a demonstration of identity, longevity and of a need to be recognised.”

Earlier in 2021, Sarah’s work was featured on Grayson Perry’s Art Club. She has exhibited at The Curator’s Salon, Rye Art Gallery and the Rye Society of Artists Summer Exhibition.