Hello Sarah! Tell me a bit about your background.
I am a 20 year old university student and I own a small etsy business which celebrates feminism and the empowerment of female and non-binary people. Whilst my life does largely revolve around the relationships in ‘Grey's Anatomy’, I find myself spending the rest of my time heavily focused on creating change in the lives of women around me. I design vibrant prints of women and other influential figures with the intention to honour and contribute to the feminist movement. With the desire to connect with locals and other people across Australia, I also design custom portraits of people with their loved ones whether that be their furry friends or their closest family members. I make sure that there is something special for everyone on my platform.
When did you first get into artmaking?
It started at a very young age when I fell in love with Disney and the whimsical animations. I adored drawing the princesses and I always tried to capture the sparkly dresses with special glitter pens!
Throughout highschool I was an art and design student who developed a love for drawing especially when it came to portraiture and realism. I’ve been drawing portraits for years now! It was when I was introduced to figures such as David Bowie that my passion for self expression blossomed and it became an entire art style for me. Celebrating the beauty of individuals with an abundance of colour was so satisfying to me and as I matured into our society which continues to endanger, criticise and lessen women's lives, I decided to turn my art into a form of activism.
Could you tell me a bit about the feminist message behind you works?
My posters aim to celebrate women of all shapes, sizes, colours and backgrounds. I want to communicate through my prints the immense power of the feminist movement, reinforcing the idea that women can do and wear what they want, when they want and how they want. I wish for my prints to inspire all women and non-binary people to love and cherish who they are. I often use the brightest and boldest of colours to capture the badassery of the women’s movement as we are indeed a force to be reckoned with.
How do you create your prints?
I use Adobe Illustrator to design my prints as well as Adobe Colour, a software that helps you generate complementary colour schemes that are vibrantly on trend.
Who would you say inspires you the most?
I am truly inspired by Abbie Chatfield, an Australian influencer who has changed the way we view female sexuality and the notion that women can lead a successful life to their own accord. Her confidence and passion is infectious and I hope to someday leave as large of an impact on the feminist movement as she has. I also want to acknowledge Ashley Graham, Winnie Harlow and Jonathan Van Ness as additional inspirations in my life. These people have shaped who I am as a designer in the best of ways.
What is your advice for young artists?
My advice would be that finding your own personal style is a journey in itself and it often comes naturally with time and exploration. Focus on what either fills you with joy or grinds your gears and those emotions will be evident in the art you create. There are no rules to art and the more experimental you get, the more exciting it becomes!
In terms of starting a business and selling your art…
Find your niche and narrow down on what makes your art different from others. It will be a slow process but finding ways to connect with different audiences will likely increase your chances of establishing the foundations of a successful business!
And finally, when starting an art business, the money and the rewards should never be the priority as passion is the main driver for success.