A still life is a view onto the private world of the artist, seeing objects considered by them to have personal, or even cultural significance. Sarah Spackman carefully selects pieces for her paintings because of colour intensity, shape or whatever catches her eye. As Paul Cezanne was once quoted as saying, ‘painting from nature is not copying the object…it is realising one’s sensations.’
‘The subjects of my paintings are mainly organic, things grown on the allotment or in the garden, or simply things I find beautiful,’ Sarah explains. In Sarah’s paintings, we share her pleasure in seeing the soft gleam of fruit piled in a dish or stems of flowers propped up in a piece of pottery; all bathed in the clear light that floods her studio.
Her primary concern is close observation, with drawing at the forefront along with the use of colour.
Sarah Spackman is recognised for her pared-back approach, often painting single objects or smaller groups of items from her vast collection of ceramics and glassware. A keen gardener, produce from her allotment often appears in her paintings; the fruit and vegetables which are nurtured by her throughout the year are closely observed and painted in a symbiotic, cyclical process.
‘From Where I Stand’ will also feature some larger works, exploring bigger plant forms and arrangements of objects. ‘Every painting is a new discovery of colour relationships, forms and spaces on the canvas,’ says Sarah.
View the exhibition catalogue here.
