Maker of the month / Sarah Cooper

I’ve been teaching art in a private secondary school in Bristol for over 25 years. I am passionate about my subject and believe in creating a classroom environment that facilitates and encourages a love of learning. Today I’m as motivated and enthused with the profession as I was on my first ever day. The world of art has been a profound catalyst, shaping me both as an educator and as an individual. The conversations with fellow artists and the echoes of past students who now grace the art world have deeply enriched my own creativity.

I am inspired primarily by landscapes in my local area, by the continually shifting interplay of light, sky and water. My paintings tend not to be literal, but suggestive in terms of form and colour. I enjoy painting and sketching on location and aim to show the mood and beauty of places that hold particular significance and memories. I often draw and paint en plein air and on my return to the studio I’m able to explore colour and texture in more depth. While I cherish the delicate art of etching born from my sketchbook studies, I confess a delightful compulsion to embellish and reimagine these outcomes. I work predominant with oil, acrylic ink and paint gel mediums, fibre pastes and any drawing materials I can get my hands on.  I regularly exhibit in the art trails around Bristol and North Somerset. I’ve exhibited work across Bristol including the Victoria Gallery in bath and I sell work privately too.