In life and art, it’s always been about the small things for Sarah Smith.

From tins of caviar to tennis racquets, the talented watercolourist, who quit her career as a pharmacist to pursue her passion, has a unique knack for bringing familiar, everyday objects to life by magnifying the details we often overlook.

“Ironically, these small items or objects often mean the most to us,” says Sarah.

 

This creative consideration inspired us to partner with the in-demand artist to celebrate Emma Hawkins’s new Ceres Life range of dresses.

As part of the collaboration, Sarah has created five custom artworks featuring Emma’s designs which we are giving our community the chance to win.

Here, Sarah shares the sentimental gesture that led her to pursue her passion, the process behind her unique aesthetic and how sustainability influences her work.

Where did your love of painting come from?
I was always encouraged to participate in art classes and creative ventures by my parents. My Grandmother, Mama, also loved to paint in her spare time, and I remember admiring some of her paintings growing up, often not realising that she was the mastermind behind them.

How else did your upbringing influence your creativity?
Before attending boarding school in Sydney, I grew up on a farm in the town of Nevertire, where the population was just 103 people. Growing up in a small rural town has fostered an appreciation for a sense of community and the simple things in life. And yes, so many of the little objects or things I paint are very special or nostalgic. There was a quaint vintage Bushell’s tea tin that I once painted. It is reminiscent of time spent in my grandparent’s kitchen having tea and cake for morning tea in between stock work. Some very treasured memories.

You went on to study pharmacy, including a semester abroad in London; what led to you leaving this behind to pursue your art?
I was trying to think of a thoughtful wedding present for my sister and decided to paint her a series of small watercolour paintings. I posted this on my Instagram and was surprised to see I had quite a bit of love from my small following. A few requests came my way for paintings of pets and sentimental objects. Initially, I didn’t charge for these, as I liked to paint in my spare time. But as the requests continued to flow, I saw an opportunity. A week after my sister’s wedding, the world went into lockdown, and while I was still fortunate to have a job as an ‘essential worker’ at the pharmacy, my weekends were now spent at home pursuing my hobbies. The pandemic’s silver lining was the extra time it allowed me to build and grow my social media community, who felt an emotional connection to my tiny artworks. Commissions grew into prints, and print sales led to the development of my website. Instagram has been an invaluable platform for recognition, leading to my first Gallery representation.

How have your travels influenced your art?
Something special happens to the mind and soul when you travel. Maybe it’s the unfamiliar places and faces, a change in culture or the beautiful, and even sometimes not-so-glamorous, sights and scenes — it opens your heart and eyes to the possibilities that are out there waiting to be found. Living in London was a pivotal time when I could pause and reflect on my life and what makes me happy. I slowed down and ‘stopped to smell the roses when I lived there, as I knew every moment was fleeting. This process of introspection pushed me to think about pursuing a different career that would bring me more happiness and joy.

How have you refined your aesthetic?
My painting style has certainly evolved. I love Malcolm Gladwell’s concept of the ‘10,000-hour rule’. I believe my brushwork has improved with practice, allowing me to paint subject matter with higher precision and detail as I go. I have enjoyed experimenting with different themes and objects over the past 12 months, mainly when producing gallery pieces. I would describe my style as intricate and refined, yet quirky and fun.

What inspires you to paint? Do you have a favourite thing to paint?
A plethora of things inspire me. I will often explore a general theme and then home in on anything I see as a good challenge, things I love, or something to which I can bring depth and detail. Curating ideas for my recent solo exhibition, ‘NOOSA,’ was fun. I enjoyed painting fish and packaged objects for this exhibition as I found I could bring ample detail to the scales and highlights of the fish, as well as the lines and shadows in the sardine tins. Fish are currently one of my favourite things to paint. For this exhibition, I photographed some of my go-to beach holiday items - my favourite bikini and holiday accessories like hair ties and rings. If I see something on the go or in nature that inspires me, I will always take a photo and save it to an album on my phone for a later date. Other times, I will read books or browse the web for images and ideas that inspire me.
 

Tell us about your process in creating these artworks inspired by Emma Hawkins's new designs.
I have enjoyed this creative process. The brief was to re-create Emma’s designs in a loose, fun and artistic watercolour style that reflects their sheer beauty and simplicity. Ceres Life sent me samples of each dress style, and images of the dresses styled on talent. I could then mimic the styling and photograph each of the dresses. Having the dresses with me in my studio was imperative to the creative process as I could study the material's flow and fall and any patterns up close. I have worked closely with Ceres Life to ensure that each painting captures how Emma envisioned women would wear and style these dresses to feel confident, beautiful and comfortable.

How does creating art help you embrace mindfulness?
Being mindful and intentional brings me a great sense of purpose and grounding. When painting or sketching an artwork, I focus solely on a single line, colour, brush stroke or pigment. I get absorbed in the process and leave any other thoughts by the wayside. Naturally, I consider myself to be a sensitive person, so to be able to have hours of my day filled with pure creativity and focus is so essential to my wellbeing. This is even more important for me now that I am running a full-time business.

What has been one of your biggest learnings in pursuing your passion as a full-time business?
Learning to run a business has been the most challenging yet rewarding pursuit. I have gained so many insights into myself, too. One of the things I am most proud of is that I have learned to be more confident in myself and to trust my intuition. When amazing opportunities arise or pressure mounts, it can sometimes be hard to stick to your guns and say ‘no’. This is a skill that I lack! But something I am getting better at.

What would you advise someone considering quitting their job to follow their dream or hobby?
It stands that you can truly achieve anything you put your mind to, as long as you believe in yourself. Three things that have been crucial to my success are, firstly, believing in myself and having the confidence to take risks when I know or feel they will pay off. Secondly, the people you surround yourself with are everything. Having a good support network and friends and peers to encourage you is imperative, particularly in the moments or times when you doubt yourself or need support and advice —and finally, having a clear vision of what ‘success’ means to you. If you have a goal to strive for, the sky is your limit.

How important is embracing sustainability in your work?
My connection to sustainability has always played a significant role in my vision. With a background in science, the impacts of mass production and non-recyclable materials play on my conscious as a business owner. From the beginning of my art and business ventures, I have always made decisions about packaging and printing materials based on their environmental impact. This type of forward-thinking is crucial in a paper-based industry with an additional focus on printing. I believe that we each have our part to play regarding sustainability. However small, every decision or action makes an enormous difference to the environment’s future.

When choosing packing materials, I only use cardboard flat-packs or padded mailers that are 100% recyclable materials. When choosing paper for print, I always take note of their combined quality & sourcing. All my copies are printed on FSC-certified paper — an internationally recognised certification confirming if the product comes from FSC-certified forests. These forests are managed responsibly in ways which preserve biological diversity, benefit the lives of local people & workers and sustain economic viability.

1. What or who inspires you to act on sustainability?
Knowing that one day the generations that follow us will walk in the footsteps of our actions today.

2. What change would you like to see in the world?
A continual shift towards more considered and conscious decision-making around our purchases and actions.

3. What is a change you have made this year to live a more sustainable life?
This year I have been conscious of my choice of fresh produce and protein. Growing up on a farm sparked an immense appreciation for the paddock-to-plate process. I like to support local growers and suppliers where possible and aim for organic meats, fruits and veg when possible. Harsh pesticides and chemicals affect all aspects of our environment, even our internal microbiome.

4. Which unsustainable behaviour do you feel guilty about and are committed to changing in the future?
Sorting waste for recycling. Often I assume most ‘paper-looking’ materials are recyclable — this is not always the case!

5. What is the one piece of advice you would offer to others seeking to create change?
Every small action counts.

6. What is something you have read, watched or listened to lately that inspired you?
I recently listened to Tim Duggan’s audiobook version of ‘Cult Status. It challenged me to consider the values of my potential consumers, particularly the value that younger generations place on environmental sustainability.

7. What do you love most about being in nature?
Being in nature is so grounding. There is something fascinating about the water. There is nothing better than diving into the fresh salty ocean water on a hot summer’s day; it brings you right into the present moment.