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Artist Bio

Sarah Jane Whyte

I grew up drawing for hours at a time. I remember setting up my stuffed animals on the coffee table and drawing them, hair by hair, for days until they were complete. Later I played with watercolors and landscapes, but never did I have any formal instruction. A couple of friends in college studied art, but I never allowed myself the “frivolous” luxury of joining them.

I was convinced that there was no living to be made in the field, and told myself that I could be content as a hobbyist. I WAS content as a hobbyist for a long time, until a few years ago when I took a job in Arizona teaching art in an elementary/middle school. Suddenly I had a studio, and access to materials, and found myself spending hours and days in my classroom over school breaks, painting and experimenting. When we moved back to Canada and I was unable to find regular teaching work, I spent a year teaching myself how to use acrylics, and pushing myself with drawing and watercolors. I now know that I was finding my passion that year, and that no matter what else I do, I am an artist. I have an innate need to create, and am desperate to pursue that drive.

Practically speaking, I have taught art workshops in the Edmonton region in various mediums, including watercolors, acrylics, and alcohol inks, and am always on the lookout for new ways to express my creativity. My current work focuses on the beauty, complexity, and depth of macro florals, inspired in part by the twentieth century work of southwestern artist Georgia O’Keeffe. I find inspiration wherever I go, camera in hand, capturing stills of nature’s intricacy.