Frequently Asked Questions + Commission Process
WHAT IS YOUR COMMISSION PROCESS?
If you’re an interior designer looking to add original, colorful artwork to your project, you’re in the right place.
Email sarah@sarahaileen.com with the following:
- Preferred size and orientation
- Design direction eg. colors, fabrics, images
- Project timeline. Lead time for commissions is approximately 3 weeks for standard sizes, and up to 8 weeks for custom sizing and/or large-scale works.
I'll respond to you within a business day and we'll explore the details for your particular client.
WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU USE?
I paint with artist-grade acrylics, primarily on hardwood, archival paper, and canvas. The materials are made to last and are ideal for executing the crisp lines that are a signature in my pieces.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK?
The first thing that stands out about my work are the clean lines, and saturated fields of color; the style is known as hard-edge painting. I further emphasize the abstract, geometric forms with bold color combinations. I gravitate to the contrast between light and dark, and warm and cool tones. There will typically be a touch of the unexpected; colors that would normally clash but come together beautifully because of the balance of forms, or paint wrapped around the edge of a cradled panel to add a sculptural element. I use the proportion and layout of my designs to achieve visual balance.
WHAT IS YOUR ART BACKGROUND?
I’ve been drawn to art for as long as I can remember. As a child, I created “stationery” with watercolor on paper. In grade school, I recall our art teacher telling our class not to draw a sun in the corner of the paper because it would give her gray hair! As an art major, I had the opportunity to try my hand at everything from fundamentals in drawing, to ceramics, sculpture, and metals. I have a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design and am focused on exploring and expanding on my love of geometric abstraction and minimalism.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?
I find inspiration everywhere, in everyday items. The colors in packaging, architectural lines, patterns of light and shadow; all of it and more can spark an idea. I never know where it will strike, but when it does, I either take a picture or draw a quick sketch in my phone to capture it. From there, I may immediately conceptualize a fully-formed design, or I take the seed of the idea and create multiple mockups to flesh it out. Once a design excites and energizes me, I’m ready to paint and bring it to life.
WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR DREAM PROJECTS?
When I was a teenager, I was given a coffee table book on Frank Lloyd Wright’s architecture. I could have cared less at that age and just wanted something “cool”. I am now obsessed with modern architecture and wish I still had that book! I would love to see my large scale pieces looking right at home in Wright’s houses.
The most important thing to me is that my pieces go to live where they contribute to the overall aesthetic, while still making a bold splash. They're intended for color-lovers, modernists, and minimalists. There’s something thrilling about seeing a large piece go up in a space, it becomes an automatic showstopper.
WHO COLLECTS YOUR WORK?
My work has been placed in individual and commercial collections across the United States, as well as Canada and Australia.