Sarah E Stuart – Artist's Statement
/Visions of Arden
When I arrive in the studio and set all mental analysis aside, artwork is allowed to emerge from an undefinable source within me. The action start point is mixing ink, sumptuous and visceral (like breath in meditation) and I am soon cast, transfixed, into the world of color and creation. I have discovered an inexhaustible energy for creating art that I simply have for nothing else.
And so, yes, these monotypes are about my process and the development, over time (some weeks or months, and some years) of layer upon layer, the addition and subtraction of elements, until something strikes a visual chord of balance and beauty. My work often feels unfinished and, as with all beings, needs space and time to develop.
Arden is a Hebrew word for Garden of Eden, meaning a place of solitude and great beauty. It is also the name Shakespeare gave to a magical forest in As you Like It.
These ‘Visions of Arden’ have emerged, finally, after a long hiatus during which I raised two boys (now fantastic men) and spent much time alone in contemplation and soul searching. I feel this set of images to be the genesis of a body of work that I will be working on until I am very old, and the necessary active expression for me to sustain my happiness and honor my life force. It is, in turn, my honor to share them with you.
Sarah – Dec 2018
