Meet Sarah Starling | Contemporary Landscape Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Starling and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
When I tell people I’m a full-time artist, a lot of the time I get a responses like, “Oh, that must be so fun to paint every day!”. And the days I’m in the studio, yes I’m usually having fun! However, I spend maybe just half of my time creating. The rest of my time is devoted to all the other things you don’t see – photography, editing, website updates, framing, accounting, shipping, social media planning, etc. As a one-woman artist and business owner, I wear ALL the hats!
Some weeks I do spend 90% of my time creating though. I’m currently getting ready for a solo exhibition at RemainReal Fine Art this upcoming August, so I’m definitely coming down to the wire to get all of my pieces finished. After that show is ready, I’ll be spending another week or so catching up on the administrative work. It’s nice that I have the flexibilty to prioritize in that way.
Also, artist’s block is real and painful. At the beginning of this year I was struggling so much to create. I didn’t even want to most days, but, like other jobs, you show up and do your best.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My primary medium is encaustic – a medium created with beeswax and a tree resin called Damar. I’ve been using this medium for 10 years and fell in love with the process. It’s very repetetive which is calming to me. I paint with layers of this molten wax mixture that’s tinted with colors. Each layer is fused to the previous one with heat and my choice is a torch. I feel kind of like a badass when I’m using my torch.
I have always painted, but didn’t get serious about the business side until 2021. It’s not easy, and there is so much they don’t teach you in school. Talking to people and building a network is probably the most helpful thing I’ve been able to do to keep growing my business. A lot of artists are introverts, myself included. Telling people about your work and creating value is difficult and uncomfortable. It takes practice, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. People buy artwork not only for the art itself, but for the story behind it. I love talking to people about what they see in my work. I share my inspiration and it can trigger a memory for them too, and it’s just this beautiful connection we have now.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I frequent Broadway so I’d definitely take my BFF to my favorite places on that street! Coffee and a pastry at Bardo before we make our way up to Fern and Skye for some shopping. If you haven’t been there, its a cute shop and gallery and everything is created by Colorado artists and makers. You can find everything there (including my work!) and it’s my go-to place for gifts. Later on, we’d hit up Fat Sully’s for the best burger and waffle fries.
My BFF is from the midwest, so I’d obviously have to take her to the mountains for some hiking. I love the hike up to Lake Isabelle and maybe we make a stop in Nederland on the way back. We would definitely do a museum day too – the Denver Art Museum and the Clyfford Still Museum are worth checking out. We would also check out the Denver Botanic Gardens since I don’t get there as often as I’d like to!
I don’t eat out as much as I used to, but some of my favorite restaurants in the city are Linger (get the duck buns), Mister Oso (the Mojo is to die for), La Loteria, or Tavernetta if we’re feeling a little fancier. I also recently went to Barcelona Wine Bar and had the best time – A+ service and really great food.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh wow, this is a complex question because there are SO MANY. First my husband, Erik. His support is unwaivering and I definitely could not do this without him. He didn’t realize it when he encouraged me to take the plunge in the artist life, but he also signed up to be my unofficial art show assistant – helping me set up booths at 7am, hang my solo exhibitions, and enduring the general public during some crazy events.
Secondly, two amazing art teachers, my high school teacher Laurie Norris and my college professor Diane Levesque. Both of these women encouraged play and truly believed in their students. Both provided great adviced based on their own experiences too. In my last year of college I distinctly remember Professor Levesque say to a group of us “only 5% of people who study art go on to make a career out of it.” I remember thinking, “I HAVE to be a part of that 5%”. I think that bit of realism really ignited my drive to succeed no matter how long it took.

Website: https://www.sarahstarlingart.com

Instagram: @SarahStarlingArt