My paintings are motivated by what I see around me; plants and flowers, animals, local landscapes, handmade things like embroidered fabrics, knit sweaters, hand woven textiles, ceramic bowls, vases overflowing with color and nature, wooden plates and utensils. I love folk art, outsider art and identify with artists with a compulsion for self expression. I am also inspired by the historically woman’s work of raising children and keeping a nourishing home through love, food, warmth, color and light. There are gifts like a bouquet of home grown summer flowers, a pair of hand knit mittens, or a delicious meal that reveal the love, thought and energy went into making someone else feel honored with simple things. That feeling is what I strive to capture in my paintings.

Sarah Steedman holds a BA in Studio Arts from Sophie Newcomb College at Tulane University, is a University of Illinois Master Gardener, and completed the Agro-Ecology Apprenticeship program at UC Santa Cruz. She lives and works in South Portland.