Sarah Ackland

Sarah Ackland is an Australian artist who currently works primarily in graphite, but also has a love for watercolour. She enjoys working tonally in graphite and seeing the results that come from working in the medium. Having grown up on a farm in the Western District of Victoria she has had a love for the Australian landscape and nature from an early age. Whether it was helping her Mother in the garden or her Father out on the farm, it was there the seeds of her inspiration were sown. With an interest in bush scenes, landscape, botanical and beachscapes, she is constantly inspired by the Australian landscape, the plant life and its rugged beauty. Her aim is to convey that beauty onto the paper and have people amazed by it. Whilst mostly self-taught she has studied under Australian artist Julian Bruere. She has found his detailed Australian snowgum scenes and landscapes to be inspiring and aims to reach that sensitivity in her artwork. Other influences are Norman Rockwell, Albrecht Dürer and Hans Heysen to name a few. Sarah has work in private collections throughout Melbourne and country Victoria. She has exhibited in group exhibitions and participated in Rotary Art Shows throughout Melbourne and surrounding areas. In 2019 she won her first award in the Warrandyte Rotary Art Show as Emerging Artist and in 2023 she won Highly Commended awards in the Summer and Spring Exhibitions and a Curators award in the Winter Show at the Victorian Artist Society. Currently she is based in Melbourne where she lives with her Husband and works from home in her studio.

Artist Statement

My artwork is inspired by things I love, places I've been to and things that mean a lot to me. My aim is to convey the beauty of the world that I see around me onto paper and have people amazed by it. My goal is to have my artwork resonate with the viewer. I also love to give people the opportunity to have happy memories, with the hope of my artwork being a trigger of fond memories of times past. Currently I am enjoying the simplicity of working in graphite and pushing the boundaries of it and my boundaries as an artist and seeing where the adventure leads me.

Hydrangeas No.3

Graphite on Fabriano paper HP paper 300gsm

I have always had a love of Hydrangeas, particularly the blue variety. We had them on the farm on the shady side of the house when I was growing up. When I think about hydrangeas, I think of the farm, Mum's garden and the happy memories I had growing up there.

Mum's Camellia

Graphite on Fabriano HP paper 300gsm

Mum's garden has been a source of inspiration since my teenage years. From when I got my first Cannon XLR camera taking photos in Mum's garden, to painting them in my VCE studies and to now.

Into the Woods

Graphite on Fabriano HP paper 300gsm

I enjoyed getting lost in the detail of this drawing, I found it somewhat therapeutic working on different areas and just trusting the process and getting lost in the drawing. It is just so rewarding to see the finished product after many hours of work. I’ll make mention that a reference photo is usually used, but I am never a slave to the reference. I tend to drift from it somewhat with my own interpretation.

Trees

Graphite, Gouache and Wax Varnish on wood

The recent VAS 9 x 5 Exhibition presented an excellent opportunity play with graphite on wood. Many experiments were taken to see which would be the best primer to draw on. I found the best primer to draw on was gouache. Not typically a primer, but the chalky finish of the gouache on the wood allowed for a nice surface to draw on where standard primers gave a too plastic like to make a good mark. For this drawing, I also experimented with wax varnish (not typically used with graphite) and I found that I liked the end result giving it an old worldly look.

Near Flinders Ranges

Graphite on Fabriano paper HP 300gsm

The reference for this picture was taken by my father some thirty years ago on a family road trip to the Flinders Ranges. The crutching on the farm had just finished and Dad had decided, after talking with the shearers about the Flinders Ranges and being inspired by the discussion, that we were going on a road trip. Mum in the front with her knitting, myself in the back and Dad driving with camera nearby ready to stop at a moment’s notice to take a photo.