Sarah Burges never imagined she would become an established artist, yet amazingly only ten years after taking up painting, her work has gained a very impressive following.
Her beautiful impressionistic landscapes inspired by the South Downs are now gracing the walls of art aficionados far and wide, including Hong Kong, the United States and Barbados. And of course they are well-loved by local collectors who are drawn to the way she captures their favourite locations in all their beauty throughout the seasons.
Equally popular is Sarah’s exquisite floral art, wonderful depictions of luscious garden blooms and wildflowers that create a gentle but dramatic still life.
Although Sarah enjoyed O-level Art, when she left school she became a nurse and once she married and was bringing up three children, her creativity focused on making antique quilts.
Once the youngsters were growing up and becoming more independent, she embarked on ceramic restoration, working at the Star Gallery in Lewes alongside about five other artists. Here she was fascinated by watching established artist Colin Merrin at work.
“He set up his easel next to me and I couldn’t keep my eyes off his very big landscapes which I loved,” she says. “One day I bought a canvas on the way home and painted some flowers – that was how it all started and I just couldn’t stop.”
That was ten years ago and now Sarah has her own gallery on Lansdown Place, filled with her stunning large oil-on-board landscapes and the dramatic yet delicate flower paintings.
Colour and the ever-changing light and seasons over the South Downs are at the heart of Sarah’s work, giving them a unique dimension and an irresistible appeal that draws you into the view. She believes her skill with colours stems from her work as a ceramics restorer.
“My thing is colour,” she says. “I’m completely self-taught and I think I picked up getting the colours right very quickly thanks to my experience with ceramics.
“I did have a few lessons from Michael Cooper and in the first few years I had to overcome a few barriers. I could go to bed feeling like Van Gogh but get up in the morning feeling what I had done was awful. But I worked through those barriers and developed my own style quite quickly.
“When I start a painting I just get totally absorbed with it and won’t stop working for hours and hours. It can take up to three weeks for a big landscape and I want it to be absolutely right. I will paint it, let it dry, glaze it and then go over it once again, continuously playing around on top of the glaze.
“I haven’t seen anyone else doing paintings quite like mine – I don’t like things to be too obvious or twee, so they are very impressionistic, featuring the way the light changes through the day and through the seasons, and I put a bit of earthiness into them.
“I’m an outdoor person and know the area very well, and I’m also a winter swimmer, in the sea at 7am every day at Seaford, watching the sun rise. Sometimes it’s like being in Iceland, watching the mist rising off the water.
“Inspiration can spring from anything, sometimes just a cloud in the sky or a whim when I see a view I like. I often take a photo and work with that for about 20 minutes just to get the outline, then throw it away so that way the painting becomes just mine without any
other outside influence.”
Sarah’s own favourite spot is Cuckmere Haven and she paints it over and over again,
at every season and in different weather and light conditions. It’s also a favourite with her collectors and she now receives many special commissions – her paintings make a perfect
and thoughtful wedding gift.
“Ten years ago I would never have imagined selling paintings to make a living – it wasn’t a plan, it just evolved,” she says. “As an artist I feel so lucky to be in this part of the South, with the Downs and the sea as my inspiration.”
The exquisite ‘statement’ works by a Lewes artist are making their way all over the world