Sarah Steedman
Painter, printmaker
I am a lifelong learner and insatiable in my curiosity! Especially about anything creative. I enjoy painting, all forms of handwork, ceramics, flower, vegetable and container gardening, cooking locally and traveling.
Sarah has a BA in Studio Arts from Sophie Newcomb college at Tulane University, is a U of IL Master Gardener and completed the Agro-ecology apprenticeship program at U of CA Santa Cruz. Her 30 year work experience has been as an organic urban gardener with the Chicago Park District and as a vegetable production and ornamentals gardener for internationally known chef, Rick Bayless. She has taught organic gardening, nature and art programs to youth and adults, and after having two children, had a successful business making art dolls. Most recently she enjoyed assisting in a Waldorf classroom of early childhood students at Urban Prairie Waldorf School in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago.
In the summer of 2022, she moved to Portland, Maine with her husband and two children.
“I paint an honest expression of who I am and the life I have lived. For me, painting in a light filled studio is like visiting a place of worship. It's restorative, gives me direction, and makes me feel connected to something bigger than myself. I find joy in the creative process of painting.”
“My current series of paintings are based on the things that inspire me. I find vintage embroidered textiles from the thrift store, cut them up, stitch them together then stretch them onto a frame and paint flowers, vases, insects, butterflies, birds and other natural objects on the surface with acrylics. I will never know the names of the people who sewed and cross stitched the fabrics that I now use in my artwork, but I like to think that I am honoring them and elevating their handwork. Most of the embroidered fabrics that I use were found folded in piles in thrift stores or at estate sales. By stretching them onto a canvas and then painting on top of these fabrics, I am putting them front and center to once again be appreciated for the time they took to make”.
