Sarah Money lives near the South Downs in Sussex, studied Visual Arts at the University of Brighton and later attended the Paddock Studios in Lewes where she rediscovered her passion for sculpting. Her painting was inspired by watching her grandson’s youthful freedom of expression in his own exploration of art unhindered by ‘tuition’
How do you describe your work?
The essence of my work is colour, texture and movement. When I paint I use a palate knife, rollers and my hands. My technique is to load the paint onto the canvas, repeatedly scraping back, putting on more paint, and creating depth and layers of colour. This process is wholly intuitive. I live in the countryside, and my husband is a gardener, so I am fortunate to have a garden from which to draw inspiration. I spend a lot of time sitting in my garden observing the flowers. Rather than painting what I see, I use memory, imagination and what I am feeling, to produce the work
What would you say are your biggest influences?
These are nature, life and people. My garden, the colour and shape of the flowers. My life and the people I have met play a part in the emotional process of my work. Other influences include Brian Taylor (1935 -2013). His sculptures are utterly compelling in their rawness and depth of emotion
Charleston Farmhouse is just up the road from where I live at the foot of the South Downs. The Bloomsbury Group created a living and working space that was keen to express a freedom from social constraints. I love the way their art work spills over from their sculptures and canvasses onto every surface of the house. The proximity of Charleston means I can spend lots of time absorbing the atmosphere of a place where artists have lived, worked and played with such passion
Vincent van Gogh is another key inspiration. Apart from his paintings of flowers, one of my favourites is Wheat Field with Crows
Who do you have in mind when you create your work?
I have in mind an image which I’ll play with until something starts to feel connected and visually pleasing. This process can be fairly quick or may take weeks to come to fruition
What makes your art different, special and irresistible?
Each painting and ceramic piece I create is unique. The flowers and colour that I paint come from my heart and are an emotional response. I allow feelings to play their part, it’s simply the essence of my subject that I am trying to capture. I feel this is what people respond to when they look at my work
What do people say when they see your collection / portfolio? How does your art make them feel?
A client who recently bought from me said, “I don’t know what it is but these paintings sing to me and I feel calm.” Other people have felt uplifted when they’ve come to see my work and been emotionally drawn to them
What do you think motivates people to buy your art? How does it appeal to the heart?
It’s a personal connection that is made between the art piece and the client. I often find spending time with a client builds a personal relationship, however I have sold work to people I have never met which would indicate the connection between art piece and client stands on its own
