Sarah Luton studied graphic design at Bath Academy of Art, including three months at the Kunstgewerbeschule, Luzern Switzerland. Whilst there, she filled many sketch books with drawings wherever she went, mainly of people, something she does to this day.
After graduating, she worked in advertising and in 1989 began working at weekends as a double-bass player and juggler. In 1990 she suffered from repetitive strain injury in both wrists, preventing her from working as a graphic artist. The year's break from work became the catalyst for her decision to go freelance as an artist/illustrator and musician.
Sarah has been a landscape artist for many years. Her work is a celebration of the English countryside, portraying the deep-felt love of nature which she has had since childhood, growing up in rural Berkshire. Working from life as much as possible, she is particularly interested in the weather and sometimes this becomes more dominant than the landscape itself.
In the past, many landscapes were in pastel or watercolour. Her present work is often in oil and she still continues to use watercolour.
In 2022 she succeeded getting onto the long list for Jackson's Art Prize, 1 of 400 selected from 8949 entries, ('Thames Path in January' in the landscape category). In 2016 she won the 'Maidenhead and Me' competition with 'Busy Busy', an oil painting completed en plein air over a few days. In 2015 she was second in the Windsor Plein Air competion. In 2013 she won third prize in the Cookham Festival plein air competion with an oil painting 'Badgers Cottage'.
Her portraits lead her on a different trail. She immerses herself in the sheer enjoyment of the the colour and form from intense observation. She does not set out with a method or preconceived idea of what she wants to achieve but lets the painting evolve as the mood takes her. As all the portraits are usually from life, this approach keeps the images fresh and alive.
Music is as important as her painting. She is a double-bass player is Maidenhead Concert band and has recently joined The Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra. She also plays in several bands; 'Tango Select', a four piece tango band, 'Paris Moon', a duo with Jackie Doe on accordion playing French cafe music and a jazz trio called 'Jazzpidistra'.
She plays English concertina. For 23 years she has played with Hawkwood Concertina Band where paritcipants come from all over the country for an annual event.
She composes music too.
