Rising Stars: Meet Sarah Geraci of Westminster

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Geraci.

Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a second generation artist. Throughout my life I’ve had a lot of influence from people who make things and express themselves in creative ways. I don’t know if art kept finding me, or I kept finding art; but I ended up studying art in college. It was towards the end of my degree that I met my husband. We’ve lived in 9 different locations and do a fair amount of traveling. Our lifestyle was quite conducive to making and selling art. I’ve always had more inspiration than I can keep up with, and interacting with new clients continues to bring me joy.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No matter what your profession, or your life’s passion, the road always has its bumps, blockades, and detours. Faith in yourself and checking your internal compass can keep you on the destined path. A career as an artist is ever evolving, and feeling content can be a big challenge. It’s gratifying when you get an award or have a big sale, but the good feelings are fleeting because the next day you are already working to make that happen again. I can create art that I think is amazing, but it can take a while for that art to connect with a patron. In the meantime icky feelings try to creep in.
The part of an art career that is trickiest of all is figuring out a work schedule. If I spend too much time experiencing life and gathering inspiration, then I am not devoting enough time to the composing of my art. If I spend an overabundance of time making work, it begins to pile up and I realize I should have been devoting more time to hanging it in shows and selling it. And where is the best place to sell it; markets, galleries, co-ops, or on one of the myriad of online venues?! It’s an exciting, wild ride; and certainly not for the epicene.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ll paint anything for anyone, but my favorite subject matter is chairlifts. From beach scapes to city scapes, adorable children and pets, to fun food; the image of a chairlift at a winter resort tops my list every time. My husband and I met while working at a ski shop in New Jersey in 2002. (shout out Ski Barn) Since then so many good things have happened to us because of the sport. It has solidified its place in my heart. Endless inspiration comes from having fun in the mountains. Visually, I appreciate the contrast in composition from having a powerful object made by man within the equally (if not more) powerful beauty of nature. It’s a perfect illustration of what we experience mentally and emotionally as humans.
In general contrast, variation, and opposition are driving forces in my creative process. I like my art to be energetic. I strive to poetically combine color and texture to tell my stories. Typically I work from photographs; either from my travel or that of others. I translate the image of the photo onto canvas using a variety of paints in multiple layers. Most often my process includes a stencil of spray paint for an aspect of the composition. This is a stencil I hand cut. The process is lengthy, but it gives sharp outlines and can make a bold element out of background trees, snow, or a blue sky. The sleek paint provides a great contrast to the detailed texture of brushstrokes.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I’m not really one for predictions and I think as a whole the art world, and art market will stay fairly consistent. A place where I do see a trend, is in middle class homes, apartments, and small offices. You don’t have to be rich to buy original art. You don’t have to know anything about art to see something you like and buy it. An object doesn’t have to have the potential to gain value to be valuable to you. Do you want a portrait of your cat in your living room? Then find someone to paint it for you. The spaces where we spend most of our time should be decorated with unique treasures that are specific to us; not something we bought in a big box store. When we make this type of investment it’s good for our health. We can all gain energy, vitality and happiness through connections with artists. Art for every man!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://floridascarf.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scgeraci/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063641070111
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/floridascarf

Image Credits
Portraits of the artist by Esbeemo Photography