Frequently Asked Questions + Commission Process
Send me a message on the Contact tab or email me at sarah@sarahaileen.com.
I’ll connect with you to explore these areas:
- Concept: Do you want to capture a mood, a place, or accent a room with a favorite color? Where do you envision this piece? The vision and setting you have in mind for the artwork will help inform the starting point.
- Logistics: We’ll discuss the size and orientation of the piece, your location and timeline, as well as pricing.
- Creation: If we decide to collaborate on a piece, I’ll have you select some images of my work so that I can get a feel for the pieces that inspire you. I’ll provide you with a digital mockup, to be sure we’re in alignment. Once any adjustments are confirmed, then it’s on to the creation of your custom piece!
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 MATERIALS DO YOU USE?
I paint with acrylics, primarily on cradled hardwood panels or cold press paper. Those 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 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.