From Wallpaper to Paintings, this Artist Has a Passion for Patterns: Meet Sarah Ingraham

I have with me in the studio artist, Sarah Ingham. Hi. Hi, thanks for coming in. Thanks for Having me. So I'm really, um, I'm enjoying the bright colors of your pieces that are kind of surrounding us today. I, I was really intrigued to hear that Dola ICAR who of course, is, is a main artist now passed away, but she was one of your early influences. Yeah. Um, I, I didn't grow up seeing a lot of art. Um, I, when I went to the Portland museum of art, her painting was the one that stuck out to me the most. Um, um, it was just the colors, the shapes, you know, I hadn't really seen, um, somebody use color like that before, And she also has, you know, she does a lot with animals and she's a little bit, um, it almost seems like there's a little bit of fantasy in the work that she does. Um, did that appeal to you at all? Um, it was less so the fantasy part and more of just the, the wildlife and the, and the natural, you know, the leaves. I like the way she like broke apart, um, trees and plants in a way that, you know, didn't make sense, but it had a lot of opportunity for color. So when you are doing your own pieces, are you considering that approach? Are you breaking apart your own plants and leaves and looking at color in a way that's unique? When I start to make a painting, I think of these things as like shapes. Um, so like the, the like different parts of the plant, um, are more just like object, like opportunity use for color for me. So, um, it really could be anything, it could be like a cow in a field, but for me, it's just, um, yeah, I guess just being able to play with color. So when I'm looking at, um, I don't know if these are Pese, um, there are pink, but I notice there's different shades to them, and then you have the looks like maybe sunflowers and you can correct me if I'm wrong. Cause I'm just taking guesses here. Um, it seems like you've made really specific choices about the colors that you want to have in these. Yeah. Um, you know, I don't even know the names of the flowers to be honest. Um, they, they just are whatever color I want them to be. So That's good. I like that approach. I mean, I, I particularly like the kind of reddish hue to the middle of what I think are sunflowers, who really knows, but, um, just cuz that's a little bit different. It's not what you always see when you, when you think of sunflowers, you and I have a connection, you went to the university of Vermont. I did. Yeah. Why did you make that choice? When I was applying for colleges, I was going for soccer. Um, and then, I don't know, whenever you start applying for colleges, I guess maybe like junior year, I decided that I wanted to do art. Um, so then I kind of switched gears and started applying for art schools and um, that kind of just went all out the window when I walked on the UVM campus and just fell in love with it. What was it about the UVM campus in particular that drew you in? Um, I guess it was just the typical like call campus. I didn't know. That's what I wanted, but when I got there I was like, oh yeah, this feels good. So you decided to go away from the art school experience in particular, but you did have a good art education from the university of Vermont? I did. And I didn't, I, um, I double majored in, uh, fine in, um, art history. Uh, my professors, you know, they were nice, but I don't know if they were totally like, I think I learned what I needed to, but I think a lot of, most of the most important things I learned were outside of college. Definitely. Okay. Well, let's talk about that then. You've been to a lot of interesting places I have. Yes. So one of them for example, is Iceland. Well, I haven't been there yet. I'm I'm leaving. Oh, well tell me about that. Uh, well I'm gonna go April 1st is when I fly out. Um, I was applying for residencies during, I guess the height of the pandemic and was just, I mean, I work out of like a 10 by 10 room in my apartment and was just like, I need to get outta here. So yeah, I'm going to Iceland. I don't really know anything about it. All I know is there's a studio, so I'm gonna go and paint and, you know, try something new. So all the places in the world, why Iceland, I had never thought to go there. Um, and there is an opportunity to go. So, you know, that's why I went or am going. So where have you been, where has, where have you been that has influenced the work that you do now? So I guess growing up in Maine and then going to college in Vermont, uh, I really kind of wanted to go somewhere like as different as possible. Um, so right out of college, I went to New York as I guess most, most aspiring artists do. Um, and uh, I learned a lot there. Um, my first job was working for a wallpaper company, um, and I had no idea how hardcore the wallpaper industry was. Um, um, that, uh, first job was great. Taught me a lot about color. Um, we would print on these like 46 foot long tables and you would do like 10 to 11 impressions. And that would be just one color. Like sometimes they were like seven color, like wallpaper prints. Um, it was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun. Um, Well now you've got me intrigued by the idea of these enormous, enormous printers with enormous like tables that, so when you talk about working on these little spaces, do you have a team of people that, that works to put the colors in? How do you, how that work? Um, so I was, uh, a print maker in college and, you know, that's how I ended up in wallpaper, but the, um, process you work in tandem with somebody else. So your hands are always on the same screen as you know, the it's. Yeah, it's a lot of collaborative work. So, uh, I having talked to a few artists now, I I'm intrigued by the idea that printmaking seems to, to come up a lot as a theme. Is there something about printmaking that is really integral to art or is it just one of the pieces of a, of an art curriculum that most artists are take part in? I think it's, um, it's just a way to make money. I think that's how I saw it when I first started out, you know, I had to, I wanted to use my hands and I wanted a job in the arts and screen printing. It's a good way to get there. How about, um, your interest in ceramics? Um, you know, I, I like painting pots. I haven't actually made any, um, hopefully in the future, that's something I do, but I think my love of, I guess, ceramics comes from my art history background and, um, you know, I just, there's so many interesting patterns and colors And also textiles. Yes. Yeah. That's also an art history, uh, uh, than star history. Yeah. So is there something about textiles that, is it the colors? Is it the, is the feeling, Um, it's kind of like, you know, they're just opportunities for color. It's another way for me to like build a painting and explore, um, you know, my passion for color. So did you know that you were interested in art when you were coming up through as a soccer player and going to Greeley high school and Yeah, I did. Um, but I had no one, you know, I didn't really see anyone doing it for a living, so I never thought it was a possibility. Um, I guess I kind of just decided that I was gonna make it a possibility and, um, yeah, it took a risk. And when you were going through, um, your early education and you didn't really see anybody doing it, how, how did you explore this passion? Um, early on? Um, well, I'm like a very like introverted person and, um, I have to, like the way I process most things is just through, is through drawing. And I, I did that, especially when I was, when I was little, I was always drawing, you know, like in the corner scribbling. So I think it just, especially, you know, when I feel overwhelmed or like anxious, it was like my go-to. So, um, yeah. So do you feel like if I, if I give you something to color with right now, that would be helpful to you? Definitely. Yeah. Okay. I, I understand. I, I understand is actually very hard as, as, as a fellow introvert who is regularly called in my own job to be kind of an extrovert by training. I understand what it's like at the end of the week. We're like, okay, I'm gonna crawl inside my, um, bed now and pull the covers up over my head. Yeah. Yeah. It's actually, it's, it's an interesting thing to live in the world as an introvert as isn't it. Uh, it's tough. Yeah, I think so. Um, but I'm also lucky that I'm able to do something, uh, that makes me happy and that maybe, you know, not everyone does Your studio right now is a second bedroom in your home in Brooklyn. Is that correct? Yeah. Yep. So you say the commute is really very good for you. Yeah, it's great. And I just get up, you know, stumble across the apartment and, uh, start painting. So what is it like to be in Brooklyn and also be a person that, um, likes, likes to have some quiet, likes to have some, um, time and space to herself? I think like the city is great because, um, it's so anonymous. Um, I like it because I can walk around and nobody knows like who I am and I can kind of just do whatever I want and it's, you know, nobody cares nobody's paying attention and you get to just watch everyone at the same time. So it's kind of the perfect, you know, introverts, you know, environment. Yeah. That's actually a really interesting observation that the anonymity actually provides you with more space just by virtue of having so many people around you. So are you a people watcher by nature? Yeah, definitely. I think I always have been, I mean, I, I think it's more interesting than being the one talking, you know, So I know that one of the places I like to go to watch people is airports. And, um, I find that particularly fascinating. I always wonder if people realize how much they're being watched by other people in the airport setting and probably in the city as well. I would think. Yeah. I think people I are in the city to be seen also, I think it's, um, uh, a little bit of like a performance space. I mean, for me at least, I mean, there's just so many different people and there's so many different environments and, you know, So how does this translate into your art? The ability to kind of see lots of things, you know, observe what's going on around you and then go back to your studio space in your home and, um, make the pieces that you make. I think, um, like I think the bright colors are, you know, a little bit of a, you know, I, I definitely like to be seen, but through my paintings. And I think when I'm making work, my biggest goal is to just have, um, some something that your eyes go directly to. So I think the bright colors, like the, like the loud compositions are something that I think reflect, I guess, the city. So in this, we have two pieces, um, one behind the two of us and one behind me. Do you, do you name your pieces? Yeah. I name like what, what they are, you know, uh, base with bottle on, you know, tablecloth or it really, I'm not like precious about naming. I think it's, you know, it's what you see is what is what you get basically. So in this piece, did you have a, a specific, um, feeling you were trying to evoke? Did you have, um, a specific story you were trying to tell or was it really just the colors and really trying to put them together in a way that was interesting. Um, so when I start making a piece, these are all, really, these are improvised. Like I don't plan out my compositions at all. Um, I kind of have like a catalog of shapes in my head that I, I go to, um, like I have a base shape that I like, and I'll, I'll just throw it on there. And then, like, I have an idea of what kind of flowers I know will give me a certain color and then I'll put them. I like, I like when it it's uncertain, you can kind of like jump from one thing to the next. I think that's where the interesting things happen. And then what about the piece that is behind me on, on the, on the other side? What, what I find interesting is you have the, the flower pattern that's kind of reflected below, underneath the, the vase. And then on the other side, we have this kind of very vibrant striped, um, I don't know, piece of fabric perhaps. Yeah. I think I'm, you know, it's just whatever I can do to create the most visual impact. I think they, at, like I said, like, they're totally improvised. Like, I don't know what they're gonna look like. I just start, you know, painting them and then just play with color. Your connection with the Portland art gallery is, um, Paige Eastburn O'Rourke, um, who is a, actually one of our early, um, interviewees for the podcast. And she also has, does a lot with color and she does a lot with local scenes. And has this significant love of Maine, have you found your, um, pieces in any way influenced by the work that Paige does? Yeah. Well, she was, you know, one of the very first artists that I saw making work and like making a living off of her work. Um, she was a huge ins inspiration. And I think when I looked at her paintings, I thought like, yeah, I could probably, I wanna do that it too. So there is, there is a connection there, I think in that way, But it doesn't seem, at least for the pieces that I'm seeing here. It doesn't seem that you have quite the same ocean and scenery influence. No, but I could definitely go into landscape painting too. It's just the same thing, you know, just, uh, another opportunity for color. I think there's just, it's a different way of dealing with it with a landscape, but I'm in interested in those too. And I have done landscape paintings before, So this just happens to be where you are now. And the pieces that we have behind us are just kind of an example of the range of things that you do. One of the things that I know in talking to Paige that has happened is that she has actually evolved her palette so that the colors that we once were seeing, um, have changed into a different set of colors with the painting she's now doing. Is that something common for artists? Yeah. Um, I definitely start out with, you know, it's either a hot, hot pink or bright red, or I do like a deep, deep blue, and usually I go between those two colors and, um, yeah, I think it really depends, but I think over the years, my palette has definitely become just way, way brighter, um, and way more intense. And maybe that's because I feel more intense, but I don't know. So you're kind of manifesting something that's inside that onto the, onto the piece that you're doing. Definitely. Yeah. So I promised that I wouldn't talk to you about specific dates around things like, um, the Indian pieces that you have once studied, but this was a part of your background that you spent time studying Indian art. Why was that interesting to you? Well, uh, I had like one professor who, you know, I loved and he would have these classes on Indian, like ancient Indian manuscripts and they were small, but you would start out with like 12 kids. And then by the end it'd be like me and another. And, um, Indian art is cool because, um, people read, they read the paintings, the paintings were like the primary language for like these religious texts. Um, so they would look at a painting and know exactly what it meant and know exactly how to read it. Um, and I always like that because I feel like a lot of art is really hard to didn't really like exclusive. And, um, this wasn't and also color held, meaning like red meant a certain thing, like blue meant a certain thing. And like every, everyone understood that. Um, also I like the way he spoke about art, he like would describe a painting, like it was a poem. So, So that's a interesting, so there was almost a as if there was a code that, um, was available, that everybody understood as they were looking at the Indian pieces. Um, but you haven't really incorporated that into your pieces from what I'm hearing. I mean, there is, I guess, a code for me. And I think when it comes to certain colors and certain shapes, I have a connection to them. There is a language that's happening there. Um, whether other people see it or not, you know, All right. Well, tell me what, what I mean, I, I am, I, I am not an artist and this is what I love about the work that I do is I get to talk to people like you, who can give me an information on this. And it causes me to think quite a bit. So if, if you were to describe this code with your own piece here behind us, what would you tell me? I guess when I'm painting, you know, I am like contending with a lot of, maybe not necessarily like negative emotions, but definitely it's a place I go to meditate and like process, and I think certain things in certain colors and, and the amount of time I spend in certain areas really reflect a lot of those emotions and those things that I deal with. So maybe the code is personal to me, but I like to leave things open to interpretation. Also. I want people to look at them and feel whatever they wanna feel. So when you look back at your pieces, can you say, oh, I one, I was doing this, I was processing this. I remember when I was doing this, I was processing this or even not even whatever it was, but like the emotions you were processing, does that, is that something that's common in art? I think so. I think most people feel that way. I think that's why they paint. So having also spoken to writers in the past, what I've been interested to hear is that I can talk to a writer and, um, I, I read all of, all the work that they've ever done for example. And I'll attempt to go back and talk to them about one of their earlier pieces. And I've actually had feedback like, well, that's in the past now. I'm like, that's behind me. I don't revisit that anymore. I've moved on to the next piece. Do you ever have that feeling about your pieces? Yeah. I mean, every time I sell a piece, I'm like, I love it. Like, let it go. You know, it's like shedding that emotional process and it it's letting go of things so I can move forward and process more. So that would suggest that, you know, in some amount of time, maybe you will have processed everything fully and you'll be like a completely different person. Yeah. And then I'll, you know, move on to something else. Yeah. Maybe, um, I mean, that's really interesting cause I'm not sure that everybody has the opportunity to do that type of processing. Uh, yeah, I think it's just it, get, it gets, it goes back to just the, the childhood thing and, and, you know, really using my hands as a way to, you know, express myself when I wasn't able to verbalize always. Um, yeah. It's hopefully I, I, I keep, you know, using it in this way. I, I want my relationship to be like this, you know, my relationship with painting, I mean, to stay like this, Well, I know that a lot of writers do the same thing and I keep talking about writing because this is, this is, that's more my area. Um, but then I have a lot of patients who don't seem to have any way of processing things and it just makes me think, Hmm. Maybe we should all have some form of art that we engage in because not only does it an enable us to process, but it also can be a source of joy satisfaction. Yeah. You know, I think that's why people run. I think that's why people cook. I think, um, I think it's important to have an obviously, um, yeah, I mean, and there are other things too, like, I, I don't just paint, you know, I make rugs and I, I make pillows and I guess that process is more, you know, it's more physical. I do hand hooked, um, rugs and I feel like that's, that's really where I go when I'm like in like crisis mode is like, um, just making these, these big thick rugs, you know, just the, the textile itself is just like comforting. But, um, yeah, if I'm ever making rugs, my friends are like, okay, are you you okay, Sarah? Oh. So other people do understand your code Very few, but yeah, the rugs are definitely a warning sign. Well, you know, you bring up a good point with the, with the cooking, because I know people that when they're stressed, they cook a lot. So, you know, I, I won't notice that they're bringing a lot of baked goods into work. They'll be like just, you know, boxes and boxes of cookies that I was like, okay, so what's, what's happening here? You know, anything you wanna talk about? No, don't wanna talk about, but here are the cookies. So, you know, it's great that you actually recognize that about yourself and that you have that outlet. I think, um, and my sister, who's an orthopedic surgeon. She loves to craft so that, I, I think she also uses that as a way to just like, okay, here's something completely different. I get to do it with my daughter, you know? And it's something that really speaks to her in a way. Yeah. Yeah. Use your hands, relax. So you were a soccer player for many years, all, all the way up through, and I know that, of course we talked about Greeley high school Yarmouth high school. Our, my kids played against you, I believe. Yeah. Um, and that's a very physical way of kind of, um, being in your, in yourself. Do you, are you still doing anything athletic in your life now? Yes, I run a lot and it is great. Um, but I do miss like the competitive aspect of sports, I think sometimes like I am a very competitive person and I think, um, I think maybe I, I paint in like a competi, like not in a competitive way, but it is definitely kind of, there's like a, I need to complete a certain amount by a certain time. Like I'm very much like kind of racing. Like I, like, I like to keep, you know, a schedule and I, I really there's a little bit of that there. I think that makes sense. Yeah. No, it makes a lot of sense. And that's interesting because some, I, some people that I've talked to are more like you and they keep a schedule and they wanna be really productive and they understand that if they're gonna make a living in this, that this is something that they need to do. Um, and then I've to other people who are like, oh, you know, the thing about art is you have to wait till you're inspired and you know, and that, it seems to me like, well, I mean, sure, you could wait till you're inspired, but if you actually wanted to make a living out of it, you're gonna go hungry. I think, Yeah, it's work. You have to sit down. And even when you don't wanna be there, you have to do it. I mean, it is a lot, like, I think being a writer, like even if the ideas aren't coming, you still just sit down, put, put the work in because you know, that's how, that's how you have to make a living. It's this is a necessity. And also, you know, in more ways than for me, I think. So how do you, um, how have you, as, as a person who's, um, new to the process of selling your own art, how have you worked with this idea that this is your art it's very personal to you and at the same time, it's something that you want to share with other people in part, because you want it to and be part of your livelihood, like the marketing of art. How, how have you kind of reconciled those ideas? Yeah, it feels a lot like I'm starting a small business. Um, it is late nights and early mornings. Um, and before I ever joined the Portland art gallery, I felt like I was like a, like a one man. I would do marketing. I would do like, I would photograph, I would like paint. I would like source materials. It was just like nonstop. But I also, I like that. I like being in control and I think letting go of control is something that I, I have a harder time with. And I know I need to know that that's okay too, you know, that other people can handle things as well, especially in the beginning. Cause I need help. You know, I can't just do it myself. Yeah. I think that's you, you're raising a really important point and that's that any small business becomes kind of the, the thing that if you're the owner or the founder, you do all the time and that's really how it typically becomes successful. And if you're the artist and you're your product is you, then you're kind of balancing both of those things, the need to maintain your own creative space to, to create product and also be able to market the work that you've done. Yep. Yeah. It's um, it's fun though. I, you know, the other jobs that I've had were great, but, um, I definitely just need the freedom and um, I like, I like being in charge of, of my time and my schedule and, you know, I've had a series of pretty, like pretty tough bosses, I think, especially early in, when you're working in New York in like your early twenties, you know, nobody, people, people don't really take you seriously. I think a lot of the time. And I decided that, you know, nobody was ever gonna be responsible for my income. Um, and I think I've made that happen so far. Yeah. That's, that's a big step to take though to decide like, okay, I, I, you know, I can, I can decide to go to the corporate route where somebody pays my salary and gives me health benefits and all that. Or I can really be dependent upon my own self, how you get to that place. Oh, well, um, the design jobs in New York that I had in the beginning, you know, they don't pay that well, it's great experience and I definitely can thank them for a lot. But, um, when I was working at the wallpaper place, I was also working nights for, um, an art that I really loved, uh, at the time. Um, he, you know, we were friends until we weren't. Uh, and I, I was, I soon became his full-time assistant and, um, really learned like the ins and outs of, you know, how to be an artist, especially in New York, like the Brooklyn arts scene is very, um, it's like very exclusive, it's very political, you know, if you don't have the right studio in the right place, like nobody, you know, anyway, um, yeah, we had, I guess, a difficult relationship and he ended up firing me and at the time that was like the worst thing that could have happened. Um, but it was good because it, it was actually the best thing that happened, I think out of maybe a little bit of spite and, uh, maybe, you know, you know, I'm a very stubborn person. I decided that, well, actually, you know, I'm gonna start painting cuz I know how to paint. And um, there's no reason I can't. So that's where it started. That's where the, you know, the painting career began for me. So, so I love the, the fire in your belly. I love the fact that you're, you're just not gonna be taken advantage of. You're not gonna let anybody tell you what to do and it's gonna motivate you to actually create success for yourself. Yeah. I think it's, that's like, I feel like a lot of people don't get, I think, you know, I don't know a lot of people who've been fired. Maybe people get fired all the time, but I think these things happen for a reason. And I think it was, it was good. I needed it. Well, I mean, I think actually a lot of people do get fired. See, I didn't know that at 25, I thought it was the end of the world. I thought, you know, Well, but don't you think that's because it's not something a lot of people about Definitely. Yeah. Because It's, at the time it seems like, I mean, and I speak of somebody who also has been fired even as a doctor. Nice. Well, yeah. Right. So we're, we're not an exclusive club, I don't think, but it feels better to say that. Yeah, in my case it was just that our healthcare organization was like cutting down on, you know, the amount of money they were spending are like, well, you're too expensive. Sorry. I see you later. And that was really hard to take and I was relatively young, but it was, I felt such shame around it. You know, even though there was a lot, I couldn't really do about that. So I don't think a lot of people talk about it. Yeah. It was. I, you know, I was a humiliated, I think, especially being that you young, my, I was so attached to like my job and like what I did and I didn't realize that you could have two different identities and um, yeah. I don't know. I didn't tell anybody. I just started painting and I was like, yeah, I'm a full-time painter now. Like yeah, no, I chose this. This is great. Um, but it, you know, it started going well. And I think the hard part about the jobs that I had had, you know, I felt like there was so much resistance and, and when I started painting, it was like, suddenly, like everything kind of felt right. It was like very authentic and like, you know, people were buying work and it, it just made sense. Like, it was kind of like why, why had this happened sooner? You know? So it was really, um, it was reassuring. It was, it was the craziest thing. Honestly, the fact that it just started rolling like that. So I, Well, and like you, I feel like being fired actually was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me because it did kind of move me in a different direction. And also like you, it was very interesting because it, then it was like different things started to show up different opportunities. I was also very motivated to be like, well, you're not gonna tell me how to feel about myself. And, um, and I think that you're right there does kind of, it, it opens something both internally and, and externally, if you can let that happen. And, but not everybody does. I mean, I I've talked to people who are scarred for life and never wanna talk about it. And you know, you know, 50 years later they'll be telling about this incident of that happened. I'm like, Hmm. Cause I'm like that hasn't really benefited you much. Yeah. I think I, I got, I just got lucky. I think, I think it would've been harder. Had it been a different, um, a different kind of work or a different place, but because I had this like personal relationship with this artist, I was able to really not take it personally, you know, it was just, you know, he wanted whatever he wanted and, and I wanted something else too. So Yeah, that's a good way to look at it. I mean, isn't that most situations where it's just a fit, you know, and it doesn't make you a bad person cuz you don't fit into what somebody else wants. No, I just wanted to be a painter and I just didn't know it yet. So Well that's good. So now how are you going to be working with the Portland art gallery? I'm kind of interested to hear this because you've been so independent and you've, you're so motivated, but you've done all your own stuff. So tell me about what that transition's gonna look like F