Sarah Luton

profile

Statement

My landscapes are a celebration of the English countryside. I aim to portray my deep-felt love and respect of nature. I am particularly inspired by strong contrasts of light and want to create a narative about the scene. It's often somewhere local where I frequently walk.

My portraits are usually from life so I try to capture my sitter through exploration of form and colour without a preconceived idea. The painting evolves through direct observation and this approach keeps the image fresh and alive. Commissions are welcome.

Biography

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 usually 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 competition. In 2013 she won third prize in the Cookham Festival plein air competition with an oil painting 'Badgers Cottage'.

For her portraits, Sarah does not always set out with a method or preconceived idea of what she wants to achieve, unless it is for a commission, but lets the painting evolve as the mood takes her. She immerses herself in the sheer enjoyment of the the colour and form from intense observation.  As most of the portraits are 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.

 

Exhibition History

7th - 14th October 2023Wooburn Festival
Sept 2023Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail
July 2022Bath Society of Artists 117th Annual Exhibition. I have two charcoal landscapes in this year's show.
May 2022Society of Graphic Fine Art,
Mall Galleries, London
Sept 2021Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail
Sept 2020Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail (CAMAT)
Jan 2020An Artist's View of Maidenhead
Sept 2019Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail (CAMAT)
Oct 2018Wooburn Arts Festival
2016 - 2018Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail (CAMAT)
March 2014Studley Green Portrait Group Exhibition
Sept 2015Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail (CAMAT)
Sept 2014Cookham and Maidenhead Arts Trail (CAMAT)
March 2014Studley Green Portrait Group Exhibition
Nov 2013Trees Exhibition
Oct 2013Trees Collection, solo exhibition
Oct 2011Faces and Places, solo exhibition
May 2011Cookham Festival Art Trail
May 2011Art on the Street, Maidenhead
2010/11Group Exhibition. Elizabeth House Gallery. Cookham
2008-2010Bucks Open Studios
2007-2010Wooburn Arts Festival
1999-2003Wooburn Arts Festival
2002Exhibition with 'the Chiltern Makers'. Henley Fire Station Gallery
1999-2002Bucks Open Studios
1989-1997Newbury Open Studios
1999The Spink Competition, Newbury
1997East Woodhay Gallery
1996'Spirit of the Garden' Exhibition, Salisbury Musuem
1994Solo Show. Borlase Gallery, Blewbury
1994Laing Competition, Winchester
1992Solo show. The Arts workshop, Newbury
1992'Cats' Exhibition, Salisbury Museum
1992Association of Illustrators Gallery, London
1991Laing Competion Finals. Mall Galleries, London. Selected from southern region.
1991Laing Competition, Winchester