“I Prefer Living in Colour” ~ David Hockney

At the heart and start of all my work, there is beautiful, emotional and spiritual colour.  

Each painting begins with the power and energy, the movement and flow of colour. 

Oh it is pure alchemy!

I am deeply drawn to how colours  work together in a dance across the canvas. 

Colour inspires me to be courageous in all that I do.

I love how each colour has a frequency and texture and my semi abstract layered artworks are alive with colour, symbolism, and intuitive mark-making, inviting the viewer into a world that is both magical and deeply human

Colour is the way I communicate. 

I live, breathe and sleep colour. 

Everywhere I look I feel the vibration of colours. 

Playful, magical, vibrant colour. The wilder the better! 

And so, like David Hockney says – “I prefer living in colour”

But it hasn’t always been so…

I create art to express myself. Here I am (the artist) working on a large painting splashing paints and inks about to create the abstract background to my painting Trust

Life Before Art...

In a past life, I was a Primary School teacher for a whopping 18 years! 

I loved my vocation. I loved seeing the children’s smiles and the magic fill their eyes.

The thing is, I gave more to my work than I gave to myself and it paid its toll in 2018 when my mum died. A series of traumatic events ensued.  I lost everything – including myself.  

And so, by the end of 2019, I found myself alone and lonely, entrenched in unprocessed grief and immersed in deep depression that was stopping me from working.  

It was a dark time – devoid of colour – devoid of emotion – devoid of anything. 

I had to do something to change things. It was imperative that I set about finding ME!

In 2020, I listened to the whispers of my heart.  Like a gentle lullaby, they said…

you need to create…create…create! 

AND just like that, everything was possible once more – happiness, love and laughter.

Art came to me in her purple robes.  She took my hand, picked  me up and glued me back together with gold and glitter, colour and creativity.

The Creative Calling

And so in January 2020,  I actually handed in my notice at work! Crazy, huh? (Even more so as this was just before the world went into lock down chaos).  

But what a sense of relief! So many adventures to be had!

I’d always loved art even though my relationship with it had been uneasy. You see, I’d parked my personal art after school, plagued by perfectionism and the pressure to be original. But here it was, 30 years later, calling me again!

I found ways to move through my creative blocks and art was a safe place for me to explore, experiment and express once more.

And so, I painted, smeared, smudged, tore, inked, sculpted and experimented my way out of a very deep and dark place.

I literally drew myself back from merely existing to a full-bodied life. 

Oh the magic of art!

The Wild Woman Way!

Powerful , joyous, colour, wild and courageous creativity, animal wisdom and spiritual symbolism – it is all there in my artwork. It is what I call Wild Woman Art which is a potent form of artistic alchemy that frees me from a life long addiction to perfectionism and people pleasing.

And this way of creating continues to support my healing – my spiritual well being and my journey of self discovery. 

I believe that the magic os all around us like one colourful tapestry of awe and wonder and that:

Creativity helps us see the magic in the ordinary. 

The Wild Woman Way of creating art has led me to honour these 5 values in my life and in my art business

Balance

Expression

A magical wolf print. This magical art shows the wolf howling to the moon. She is painted in vibrant yellow, green and lilac tones. Her background is an abstraction of darl blue, purple and indigo. A few white moonflowers grow beside her.

Intuition

Community

Spirituality

This spiritual horse print shows a white horse with mane flying, running in the night. The background is night colours with a yellow streak of light opening up as the horse runs past.

And today...

I am a full time artist and I sell my vibrant, characterful art globally. My customers and collectors are inspired and motivated by the meanings behind each piece of art. To lead their lives the Wild Woman Way.

I also work with women to help and encourage them to harness the power of their personal and authentic self – expression and creative vision. So they can bring balance and inner peace, increase the strength of their intuitive gifts and find spiritual healing within a like-minded and nurturing community.

You too can join my Wild Woman Creative Revolution art membership here:https://artcourses.sarahbowdenart.com/wildwomencreatemembershipform

Or choose a course to dip your toes into the wonderful world of wild woman art: all courses here.