Sarah Boardman

I was trained in the Old Master tradition of painting, and as a result, painting has become an energizing joy to me. I spend a great deal of time on each painting – much of it in the struggle to extract the concept from my inner self! I work mostly in oils and pastels, both media having qualities which are particularly effective in showing strength and character in portraits.

My style reaches for a combination of fascinating detail and depth. I strive to obtain the balance between a true likeness and the soul of a subject - the combination of these factors is essential to showing a person in their best light. The eyes in particular create the soul, and the painting is the setting. Much of my non-commissioned work is of portraits which convey varied and conflicting emotions to the viewer. Costumes and fabric hold a particular fascination for me, particularly of the Edwardian and Victorian periods. A large segment of my work is taken up with portrait commissions, which are shipped world-wide. Varied emotions are conveyed by my paintings, with conflict and debate being the primary goal – the “why” or “what” surrounding a particular expression of a subject.

I am compelled to interpret the life in a subject, and to capture the essence of a person in addition to their likeness. The conflicts, joy, secrets and history all combine to create a captured moment in a portrait. The painting journey usually consists of an emotional dialogue between the emerging painting and myself. This dialogue is designed to result in an awakening of those emotions in the viewer. Each step evolves during a soul-searching roller-coaster ride that seems insane to the onlooker!! That is the challenge, and is why painting portraits is my passion. I have an eternally questioning nature, and the truth is that I cannot NOT paint.