Sarah Verardo: Living with Art

Lisa Belisle: Hello, I'm Lisa Belisle and you are listening to or watching Radio Maine. Today I have with me in the studio Sarah Verardo, who is an artist with the Portland Art Gallery. Thanks for coming in today.

Sarah Verardo: Thank you for having me.

Lisa Belisle: Sarah, I'm interested in your career trajectory. Because when you went to Georgetown as an undergraduate, you were a government major.

Sarah Verardo: Yes, I was, and I've never gone into that field. I actually went into marketing immediately after graduating. I was a government major. I think that it was, you know, I was in DC, I was at Georgetown. I thought that was what I should do. It was very interesting. And, you know, I do believe that college is for learning about things that you're interested in. And I did end up deciding to become a studio art major, probably second semester, sophomore year. The art program wasn't huge there, but I had always been an artistic kid, and it kind of gave me a little bit more exposure to some training. And that's where I had my very first, I took my first painting class. I took intro to oil painting right before I graduated, and I loved it. I loved painting. Sadly I didn't do it for another 17 years. I started working right away after graduating in New York City, in marketing. But I probably never would've picked it up again, if not for that opportunity.

Lisa Belisle: Then why marketing?

Sarah Verardo: I like marketing. I still do it. I consult on the side, and I think that there is something about marketing that allows you to still be creative and, you know, be a storyteller, but you also get to get into the analytical side of things. So it's very much like, they feel like the balance of what my brain is. I like puzzles, I like data. But I like to then take that and kind of create a story and a plan from there.

Lisa Belisle: What's one of your favorite experiences in the marketing field?

Sarah Verardo: My favorite. I've had a lot of great experiences, so I mostly worked in fashion in New York. And I worked for a lot of European fashion houses, so old storied brands. So certainly traveling a lot in my twenties was great. But being a steward for these brands for the given time that I was there felt really magical and special. I don't know if I would've been as successful doing what I did for Colgate, or, you know, a brand that I wasn't really excited about, the story behind it. So I've had some amazing experiences. I worked for some of the most, you know, some of the most storied brands in the world. And I also met just such incredible influential people, people who are influential in my life, relationships that are so, so special to me to this day.

And I feel the same way about my time at Georgetown, too. I feel like the most valuable thing that I got out of that were the people that I was with, and I feel like they've made me better in every stage of my life. And the same with the folks that I met in my marketing career too. And eventually I transitioned more into the digital marketing side, which, you know, when I started working, I worked at Gucci in 2004, and they didn't believe anybody would buy clothes online, so they only sold shoes. So being part of this emerging e-commerce landscape was also really exciting too. So it was, you're constantly having to learn how to do your job on a day-to-day basis because there's no precedent. And the industry was changing so much. So it kept things really exciting.

Lisa Belisle: And have you maintained an interest in fashion?

Sarah Verardo: I actually transitioned mostly to home. So I work with a lot of luxury home designers and home brands. I do have a couple of fashion clients. I think that, you know, it was sort of a natural evolution, and I've seen it with other people too, where they start out in the fashion industry and then work over to interiors. I think as, you know, your life becomes more focused on your home. I really, really love the home space. I love the pace of it. I love that there is still, you know, it is still very centered around design and aesthetics. I also think that it's really interesting the way that people make decisions around what's in their home. Great parallels to art as well. So, you know, there is a lot of, when you're kind of constructing a strategy around marketing a home product, there's a finite number of sets of sheets that any person needs, or a finite number of couches that they need.

So you have to get really, really creative with how you are telling the story behind what you are selling to them, because they are making this really personal decision to live with it every day. And I think that that is much more unique to home than it is fashion, which can be very ephemeral and fleeting and, you know, very trend-based. So from a strategic point of view, I find it to be a little bit more interesting and a little bit more fun to think about, you know, how to craft that strategy and story.

Lisa Belisle: How has this translated to the work that you do with your own art? I mean, obviously there's being an artist and being a creator, but then you are essentially a small business owner because your art is your business. So do you feel like the knowledge has had any sort of impact?

Sarah Verardo: I do. I think that it's been really advantageous for me. And I, you know, I try to share that knowledge with other artists who maybe don't have that background, in any way that I can. I definitely think that, you know, there is a lot to the Instagram and digital marketing. It's definitely being utilized by more and more artists every year. But I feel like I had such a good foundation on, you know, building a brand. And that's what you are as any person, but especially an artist. You are building your brand. So, you know, the technical art piece is half of it, and the other half is sort of presenting yourself and conveying the meaning behind your work, but also, you know, digitally, you need to build trust with people. It is a significant investment for somebody to make, not being able to go to your studio or to see your work in a gallery. So there is a lot of work to be done there to make sure that you are presented in the best way, and that there's, you know, your customers can trust you and are willing to buy into you and your story in addition to the piece over a website.

Lisa Belisle: As you're working on your own brand and your own marketing, and you're thinking about how other artists can do this for themselves, are there specific things that you tend to suggest for other artists as far as digital marketing?

Sarah Verardo: I think that, you know, I would never bill myself as like a social media expert, but I do think that it is really, even if you're not selling your work directly on your website, to think of your website as your own personal gallery space or your own, you know, studio space. And to be really intentional with how you're presenting your work. Because the way that we just on a day-to-day basis consume anything online is really, really quick. And, you know, somebody will look at your website for maybe 10 seconds. I look at my analytics a lot. I know that people really, you know, at most will spend two minutes browsing my site. So I think that, you know, my biggest recommendation is to really make your website as easy as possible for somebody to navigate, and for somebody to get a sense of what you're showing them, and to never assume that they are going to find the information that they want to get. You have to really, really put it in front of them and serve it up on a platter. And I think that that's, you know, that's e-comm 101. It's what I do with any brand that I'm working with who's trying to sell online. So even if you're not selling online, just to be thinking about your website as your personal showroom.

Lisa Belisle: You mentioned trust. Are there ways that you encourage people to build trust, or ways that you build trust with the people that you're bringing into your space?

Sarah Verardo: Yes, I mean, I think that the most effective thing you can do is to just present yourself authentically. And, you know, maybe that's the way that you communicate online, or even just the correspondence when you respond to somebody who's reached out to you. I think that there is, you know, there are a lot of shady characters out there. And I think that naturally people have their guard up, especially when you are considering a piece that, you know, it is about the aesthetics of that piece, and you actually can't see it. So I think that, one of the reasons why, and, you know, we were talking about this before, one of the reasons why I feel like people want to know about the artists so much, and to really, you know, hear their story, is because there are so many things out there, and there are so many options, and it just makes you feel more connected to the piece. And it also just makes you, I feel, feel more comfortable investing in that piece.

Lisa Belisle: Tell me about your connection to Maine.

Sarah Verardo: I'm from New England. I'm from Rhode Island. I grew up in a beach town with 12,000 residents in the winter. So really, I'm a townie. I came to Maine in 2021 for my cousin's wedding. She married into a Maine family, so she's here a lot. And we ended up in Portland walking around, and I found the Portland Art Gallery. It's just a beautiful, stunning space. I love this city. I, you know, I lived in a 200 year old house in Providence, so I love the history of this area of the country. I'm also very, very connected to the coast. You know, home for me is hearing waves outside my window, and I don't even know if there are foghorns anymore, but foghorns too. So there's just such, you know, familiarity and a comfort to this area. I'm definitely a northeast New England person, and I've really loved getting to know Portland more and spending time in Maine. Now that I live in Rhode Island again, and I'm raising my kids here, you know, I just think it's such an amazing place.

Lisa Belisle: Have you introduced your children to art?

Sarah Verardo: Yes, I have. My kids are interested in art in a different way. So my oldest especially is a tinkerer. He's an engineer. And he, we live next to Rhode Island School of Design. I basically live on campus. And he did a RISD camp recently, last summer. He's doing it again this summer, where he worked on three dimensional art projects. So, you know, where I was a kid who was always drawing and painting, my children aren't that. But they are, I'm really, really encouraging them. And thankfully I'm in a community that allows that, to think about being artistic in a different way. My older son has, you know, has said before, because he can't draw what he sees, "I'm bad at art," and the dagger to my heart, it's just not true.

So being able to get him excited about sculpture and abstract art has just been so, so rewarding, and it's made me so happy. We're really lucky. We live next to one of the best art schools in the world. So we can visit, you know, the RISD Museum, which is down the street, anytime we want. I take my little one to as many exhibitions as I can. I think he is a, I'm training him to be a future gallerist, maybe one day. So we also live near Providence Art Club, where I'm a member, which is, you know, just a beautiful historical space and a great community. So I just try to bring them into as much as I can. And, you know, thankfully my father did that for me. He was an insurance salesman, but he also owned a gallery in Providence, and I remember him taking me, he was friends with a lot of professors coming in and out of RISD, when I was five years old. He took me to Dale Chihuly's studio to watch him blow glass. And I have a Polaroid picture of little five-year-old me next to Dale, and we still have the sketches from that day that are hanging in my room in my parents' house. So it, you know, it was a big part of my upbringing, even in sort of an indirect way. And I think that, you know, we're really lucky to be in a city, in an area, where my kids can just be surrounded by some incredible art.

Lisa Belisle: That's, it's interesting. So insurance sales, and also a gallery owner.

Sarah Verardo: Yes. It didn't, the gallery just opened in the eighties. It wasn't a very, you know, it didn't last too long, but he loved art, loved it. And I think that he wasn't an artist and he never would pretend to be, but he met a lot of his friends through Izzy and through his gallery. And another thing that is really important to me now that I have my own home is filling it with art from artists who have come into my life at some point, which is how, you know, my childhood home was. A lot of the art that is still in my house was from the shows that my dad put on in the eighties. Friends of his who were professors and have, you know, since passed. Almost every piece of art in our household, I remember meeting the artist at some point. And I, I mean, my collection at home is very, very small at this point, but that is my intent, because I want, you know, my children to look at a photograph or a painting and say, oh, I remember meeting that guy. And, you know, this is mommy's friend, or this is somebody that we met with this show. So yes, my father just loved art. And he, thankfully, you know, I benefited from that.

Lisa Belisle: Well, in our home, we also have a lot of art, as you might imagine, given my connection with the gallery. And I will say that my children, even now being older and having this ongoing connection with the gallery themselves, they will absolutely look at a piece in the gallery that's new, and they'll be like, oh, that's a new piece from such and such an artist. And we have one somewhat similar in style in our house. So it is interesting that you surround yourself with these sort of living objects, and then you do make that personal connection, and it kind of demystifies things in a way that I think is really, has a lot of impact.

Sarah Verardo: Yes, yes. I completely agree. And I, you know, I was around these pieces for so long. There are brush strokes that are just imprinted in my head from paintings that are in my parents' house, and I feel like there are some that I know every inch of that canvas. And there is, you know, it is sort of a touchstone to home. We joke, we all joke about which ones we're taking one day. But there is, you know, that is part of our home. And I think that it's, you know, how lucky are we that we get to have art be such a present part in our upbringing, and not just sort of this thing that you see through a window once or twice.

Lisa Belisle: Well, I think the nice thing about art too is it's accessible. So, you know, maybe you have original art in your home, or maybe you have a print of Christina's World on the wall that, you know, and either one of those are a connection and something that does become imprinted on your memory. So what I love about what you're saying as far as kind of inviting art into the home and living with things like even sheets and other home goods, is that you are surrounding yourself with important things that create a space for life.

Sarah Verardo: Yes. And, and especially for obvious reasons in the past few years, home has become even more personal. It's, you know, it's not just a place you come home at six o'clock and leave at eight. There are many, myself included, who are home all the time. And I think it's really, there is something lovely about being more intentional and thoughtful about your personal space, and not just thinking about it as decorating or aesthetically what you want your home to look like, but it's really sanctuary. And, you know, for your children, if you have children, it's a place that brings a lot of comfort to them too. So I, yes, I mean, I think that that is, as an artist, I'm so grateful, and I tell people this all the time, when they choose to bring my work into their home. I mean, it's, I'm floored. It is a real, real honor. And it's not something that I take for granted at all.

Lisa Belisle: You have a very distinct and memorable style, and I really love your pieces. And how would you describe them to people? I mean, obviously people who are watching this will be able to see some of the images on the screen. But how would you describe your art? And also, why did you make the choice to focus on the subjects that you do?

Sarah Verardo: It's a real challenge to describe it. Yes, I don't know if I, I haven't quite figured out the most articulate way to convey my art, because it is often a simple object, like a stone or a flower petal or a shell. And I feel like if I tell somebody I paint stones, they're like, well, yes, alright. But I intentionally paint stones in the way that I do. So I paint objects that have some sort of connection to me, shells and stones from the coast, or from my home, or from places that I have visited. And I paint them sort of isolated in space and on a larger scale. And the reason behind that is because I started painting these pieces that were around me as sort of my own personal experience, being a more mindful person navigating through grief of losing my father, and just trying to be more present and not so, you know, in my own head space.

So it started with just taking walks and not walking by the thousands of stones that are on the beach, but noticing the ones that are around me. And really that is what my paintings are, is, you know, appreciating this small, tiny piece that's around me, but also hopefully getting others to stop and, you know, appreciate that as well. They are very intricate in a lot of ways. And I actually try to paint in the way that the actual object exists. So for the stones, my painting is pretty delicate, I would say. I paint with a lot of thin layers. And I really do build them as the stone actually is. So they're often worn by the seas, so sometimes you see cracks coming through, there's some translucency.

And I'm really painting them in like 10 to 12 layers, showing the different intricacies, and then the next layer of the stone on top of that. And I realized recently, I think I draw with paint. That was sort of my first medium of choice. I love to draw. I didn't paint until right before I graduated college. And I really do think that, especially in this time in my life, that that is how I paint. And it's pretty tight and it's very, a lot of sort of layers and blending. I'm not a formally trained artist. I don't know if that's the right way to do it, but that is what my instinct and my body is telling me to do. And so that is sort of how I end up with my style.

Lisa Belisle: That's a fascinating concept to me. This idea that in order to do art, one must be formally trained. Because I mean, I'm sure that there are, like anything, there are techniques that are well recognized as being appropriate to whatever the situation is. And at the same time, what you've just said is really profound, this idea that this is kind of the way that you feel that it should be, and the way that you're going to proceed, based on your own intuitive sense. And isn't that sort of the very definition of creation?

Sarah Verardo: Absolutely. I think that this is, I am no stranger to imposter syndrome, unlike anybody else or most people out there. I do think that there is, and it's something that I work through always. You know, there is always going to be sort of this piece in the back of my head that recognizes that I didn't go to art school. And, you know, there are a lot of amazing artists who did, and they know so much more than I do. I will say that thankfully, you know, we're in a time now where you just have so many resources. I mean, I learned how to do a lot of things on YouTube. So I, you know, I'm not poo-pooing art school. If I could turn back the clock, I wish I did go.

But I think, you know, thankfully for me and for anybody out there like you, that doesn't have to hold you back. And it seems more and more that that's the case, that you can sort of be an informally trained artist. But yes, I mean, at the end of the day, your creation is your creation. And, you know, this isn't, it's not surgery. And part of what is hopefully appealing to the pieces is, you know, the concept that came from my mind and what I executed, and not my degree and whether or not, you know, technically it is the right way to do it. I think that there's, you know, I did struggle, I think initially, with thinking I'm supposed to be looser. This is how I'm supposed to paint. I'm supposed to use more paint. And it was really liberating to just decide, nope, I'm just going to do it this way. This is what I want to paint. And I love it, and other people love it. So I just remind myself every day not to worry about what I'm supposed to do.

Lisa Belisle: Well, it sounds like you're translating that into the conversations you have with your children, particularly the one who apparently doesn't feel like he can draw, or represent something exactly the way that it is in front of him. And I think that's really powerful.

Sarah Verardo: Yes. I mean, I think that it is something that I hope that he takes, and I take, into every part of my life. And I think that this is part of what I mean when I talk about, you know, being authentic. You know, I don't think it's bad to talk about my art and talk about the parts of it that I have been less secure with, and then the decisions I've made on how I move forward. I think that that, you know, really just puts more meaning behind it, instead of just what somebody is looking at and judging sort of the technicality behind it. My evolution as an artist, and also just, you know, over the past few years even starting to paint, is a huge, huge piece of the meaning behind my work. And is, you know, what I believe, I believe that painting is my purpose, but just as much as painting, talking about my experience becoming a painter, and even helping one person go down that path too, if they want to, is a part of that purpose too.

Lisa Belisle: And one of the things you mentioned that I think is something I've heard more than once, is it's even a means of just processing what's going on in your life. So when you talk about processing your grief over your father's death, I think that's something that if you can be bold enough to say, this is what I used as the way to do this, then it probably gives other people permission to do the same thing. And sometimes processing isn't as easy as, let me just talk about this with somebody, because sometimes it's emotions that can't really be verbalized.

Sarah Verardo: Absolutely. I mean, you know, even just sort of helping through an example I do have, with lots of people who are sort of, you know, deciding if they should take that leap. But, you know, maybe somebody who sees this conversation, or who reads my bio, or reads something about why I painted a stone, you know, if that could have any sort of impact. And, you know, I think that sort of my experience these past few years has been such a huge gift to me. If that can be conveyed to anyone through even just my work, that would be, you know, incredible. I would be so grateful.

Lisa Belisle: I do remember, in talking to one of the artists at the art gallery, her conversations about working through her home burning down, and she did so much art around this idea of kind of destruction, death, fire, and then she got to the end, and she said, okay, this is my body of work, and here we are on the other side. And so I think that just says to me what a powerful thing for people that art can be, the process of it, but also the enjoying of it, and being able to say, oh, wow, that's a story I never would've thought of before talking to this artist about.

Sarah Verardo: Yes, I mean, the process is not just the actual process of painting, which I think is like, for me is very meditative, but the process of going through a series and sort of like, you know, everything of, at least in my experience, my series have sort of been evolutions of what the one before was. And it's really like in parallel with my own, what's going on with me, and going from, you know, point A of grappling with grief and the initial stages, to, you know, being more present in every day of my life, and now starting to think more about, you know, these shared experiences, and, you know, how like many people go through and have gone through what I went through, and thinking about our connection. So there is, you know, it's therapeutic for sure for me. And it is, you know, I mean, it's just one of the many amazing things about any sort of creativity. Some people write, some people are musicians, and this is, you know, my painting is my way of getting through life. And it is really powerful.

Lisa Belisle: So you've clearly come to a place where you continue to work on your marketing side, and you also do your art, and you're also parenting, and you're integrating all of these pieces. I assume that you had to make some choices along the way and really be brave as you stepped forward into this decision making. Do you have advice for other people who might be considering how to weave these elements together themselves?

Sarah Verardo: Yes. I mean, every day I make those choices, and they're terrifying. I think, you know, I would love to say do it, do it, just go for it. You know, I've always think, if not now, when. But it is such a privilege that I get that choice. And I know, I'm lucky enough to have the business work to help support my family. I had the time to be able to paint. I would encourage people, if you can, to just try, and to try and do whatever you can, even if it's just an hour here or there, to not think about the journey so much as black and white, that, you know, I have a job now, I'm an artist. It's really, really hard.

And it doesn't happen instantaneously. I'm still struggling with balancing all of that. But I know that it's something that I have to do. So just, you know, even if it's just the smallest steps, to take those small steps and to not worry too much about getting to the end point as quick as you can. And maybe this is it. Maybe this will always be the balance that I have. Maybe I am always going to be, you know, part-time everything, but that's okay. And, you know, I think that there is, you just sort of have to trust that whatever is sort of your best path forward will unfold. But, you know, just to have as much faith in yourself as you can.

Lisa Belisle: Great advice. So those of you who are listening, I hope you pay attention to Sarah's wise words, and also I hope that you take the time to go to the Portland Art Gallery and see her work in person, or to the Portland Art Gallery website if you're listening or watching from afar. I've been speaking with Portland Art Gallery artist Sarah Verardo, and I personally really enjoy her work. And I think you will too. And I've really enjoyed this conversation, so thank you for coming in today.

Sarah Verardo: Thank you so much. This was lovely.