As an oil painter of animals, I use my paint to tell a story.  Using emotion that goes beyond the brushstroke, it is the experiences in my life and my love for animals and their incomparable uniqueness that I wish to capture.  Every painting is different.  Be it the color of a nose, the spark in the eyes, the thickness of fur or the curve of an ear, there has to be one thing I wish to say with my paint that will reach out and touch the viewer.  I combine this simplicity of thought with my own unique brushwork to create my art.  It is mostly a visceral response..there is not a lot of rendering or information in my paintings.  I often add a humorous title or an old-fashioned name to my pieces to give them an extra narrative.  I want the viewer to connect to the piece emotionally, become a part of the story, like a good character in a book.  This might make my work more idealized, but that’s OK..my animals live in a better world.  This is what makes me excited about my art…sometimes I get so excited about a new project I can’t sleep at night.  That’s how I know I am really an artist.  It is truly something to live for and being able to make people laugh, smile, or even cry, is worth all my time.”

Sarah J. Webber grew up in St. Paul, MN in an artistic family. At an early age she showed an affinity towards both music and art. She graduated from the University of MN in 1987, with a fine arts degree in vocal performance and a minor in art history. Later that year, she relocated west to Jackson Hole, Wy, a favorite family spot. There, she became interested in oil painting after meeting some of the local artists. She took workshops with landscape painters Scott Christensen and Matt Smith, while exploring portraiture at Central Wyoming College. In the 1990`s she relocated to Scottsdale, AZ, and furthered her art studies at Scottsdale Artist School which included workshops with  Kevin MacPherson, and attending classes drawing models from life.

In 2001, after spending nearly 10 years working in art galleries, she began to explore the idea of painting full time. She started placing oil paintings of barnyard animals, a subject matter she loves, in galleries and noticed that her paintings were quickly purchased.  Sarah’s style is painterly but also incudes an element of realism with a focus on expressiveness, lush color and thick brushwork.  She achieves this by starting with a good drawing, then pushing around the paint with a confident but sensitive brushstroke.  She also likes to play with color, surface quality, design and simplified form.  Sarah`s influences include deceased masters N. C. Wyeth, Frank Tenney Johnson, William Herbert Dunton,  W. R. Leigh, Bob Kuhn, living artists Peggi Kroll Roberts and landscape painter Glenn Dean.  

In the past few years Sarah’s work has appeared in many top exhibits and museum shows, including such venues as the Gilcrease Museum, the CM Russell Museum, The Desert Caballeros Museum, and the Clymer Museum in Ellensburg, WA, which hosted a major exhibition of her work in 2009.  In January 2011 of this year, Sarah was invited by the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY, to participate in the Winter Carnival Quick Draw, where her painting, “Puccini” of a brown bear, went to a sealed bid and was the second top money getter.  She currently resides in Tucson, AZ, and also spends her summers in Jackson, WY.

Be sure to visit Sarah’e website sarahjwebber.com