London & beyond
December 2002 saw her book launch combined with her second solo art show - taking over the entire ground floor of Christies, South Kensington.
From skiing to surfing, football, cricket, tennis, rugby and even golf, tempted sports enthusiasts as they sipped on Veuve Clicquot.
This has its home in a chalet in French Alps, Méribel. It might even be Commander Bond escaping from the clutches of SPECTRE!
Actually, it’s Alain Baxter (GB) who won Bronze in the winter Olympics.
Oil on deep box canvas. 100 × 140 cm.
Summer 2003 at The Cork Street Gallery, London, W1. Another solo show with a mixture of sporting action countered with calming sea and landscapes.
From sketch and paint studies and under paintings to completion there are often four or five layers, slowly building up texture.
Hidden then glimpses revealed is a vivid orange or green aqua that hint to “What Lies Beneath” - the theme for one of my on-going series.
Autumn 2003 with SKY News and SKY Sport. Following the progress of England Rugby towards their 20-17 victory over the hosts Australia in the World Cup, Sarah created 15 paintings - in real time.
Jonny Wilkinson, with 4 penalty kicks and 28 seconds to go, scored that famous drop goal in extra time clinching victory for England over, the Wallabies, in Auz.
This is a ‘clip’ of the original painting.
Acrylic, oil and spray paint on deep box canvas.
Framed size: 120 × 100 cm.
Framed and gilded by industry specialist Christina Leder, London.
SOLD at Auction £12,000 raising funds for the charity now known as Street Child.
Will Greenwood with his mop of spikey blonde hair was instrumental in England storming to victory - the first Northern Hemisphere team to win it.
A statement piece - 250 cm x 150 cm.
Acrylic & oil on deep box canvas.
SOLD to Egan Property Asset Management.
July 2004 St Andrews.
The 250th Centenary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, the governing body of golf in the world (except USA & Mexico) put up enormous marquees and the ‘great, good and the rest’ joined in the two week celebrations. The BBC filmed Sarah sketching golfing legend Arnold Palmer in situ. The Amateur Championship was played on the Old and Jubilee courses to honour the 1754 founding of the Society of St Andrews Golfers - Sarah sketched live and painted the champion, Stuart Wilson, proudly sitting on the famous Swilken Bridge holding the trophy - this footage was incorporated into the TV feed.
With instructions to ‘capture the essence of St Andrews by the sea, it seems appropriate to sketch whilst being in the sea, looking back at the grandstands in ‘The Auld Grey Toon”. I had brought my wetsuit with me as I knew there were nasty little blue jelly fish and was determined to not get stung!
A sense of ancient time crossing The Swilken Bridge towards the 18th green and before it ‘the valley of sin’ dip ,where if the ball hasn’t enough ‘Oomph” to get up, it slides defeatedly back down into purgatory. Flags fluttering briskly just to remind us that the sea is literally in our armpits.
During these years Sarah’s work took her to Sri Lanka, Dubai, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Long Island, Sea Island, and closer to home, Ireland.
By Autumn 2005 she had created 7 considerable different solo shows.
Her private commissioned works continued at pace and she had donated works to three charities raising over £24,000.