Sarah Finucane

In high school, Sarah cut classes and hid out in the dark room. Occasionally, she'd take art classes at the local arts guild instead of going to school. According to the principal, she set a new record for the most cut classes. That said, she still made honor role her senior year.

She went on to graduate from Savannah College of Art & Design, and later moved to the beach in Venice, California. She invested twenty unforgettable years into helping brands create fans as a Creative Director and Product Design Strategist by day, and evolving her palette and skill as a painter by night.

"From the onset of my career as an artist and designer, I've always rebelled against conventions," Sarah says. "And I've always embraced the challenge of making something out of nothing. When I took my career in product experience design as far as I felt it could go, I was both burnt out and bored. I took a hiatus from my corporate job and began the process of rebooting through painting—retrograding back to my roots and love for creating fine art.

"I'm currently working between two opposite approaches: The first is frenetic, unintentional and painterly—starting with zero conscious thoughts. It all begins with a feeling. Bold mash-ups of contrasting colors, clean lines and primitive marks, sometimes made by using unconventional almost irreverent tools, like dipping a lemon in paint and rolling it across the canvas so it aimlessly leaves its own trail. Or using a mop with the opposite hand and eyes closed to create the first layer of paint. Juxtaposing my personal narrative and symbols from the music or memory, the feeling eventually takes part in shaping the concept of the piece. Exploring moods that are witty, edgy, irreverent, rebellious, recklessness, honest, a little wacky — sometimes a little upbeat and other times a little bit moody.

"The second is often more planned—a designed approach that starts with a digital sketch on my iPad. I made hundreds of digital brushes from scratch that replicate my studio tools. Initially I did this so I could paint when I'm traveling, but ultimately discovered a new style. Using color as my muse, I explore textures, patterns, and creating deeply layered compositions—every time viewed, there is something new to discover."

She now feels she's come full circle in her artistic career. She returned East to the lush green (and snowy white) landscapes of her early years, and set up a private art & design studio not far from the arts guild to where she once escaped.