Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Lorentz
Hi Sarah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I knew early on that regardless of what else I might do, my joy in life was found in making art. In my younger years, I was encouraged to take art classes and enter into competitions. These early successes gave me the confidence to step up to more challenging endeavors including several long-term internships with nationally recognized artists. I began to form an idea of what my own art career might look like, appreciating both the production-driven and fine art career paths.
I was fortunate enough to study both art and psychology at the university level, finding my voice at this intersection of art and science. My work developed into two distinct disciplines as I discovered a love for figure-based studio work as well as my plein air landscape practice. In both, I discovered the potential to elicit a wide range of emotional responses and generate open dialogues about experiences, memories, hurts, and healing.
I had nearly a 4-year gap after completing my formal studies before launching as a full-time artist. In these years the dreams I had for my art fell second to everyday financial needs and time constraints. These don’t feel like lost years however, they instead strengthened my resolve. In that time away from art making I grew to better understand my priorities and desires.
I have been so encouraged by the response I’ve been met with by the community of viewers, patrons, and jurors who have encouraged, purchased, or selected my work. Every purchase, award, or commission allows me to continue my journey and grow as an artist, reaching for my next goals.
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?
I have been full time with my art now for four years. It is an incredibly fulfilling lifestyle, but certainly not for the faint of heart! Creative careers are a full time small business with all the responsibilities often falling on the artist to manage alone. My practice could be described as a ‘portfolio career’ with many different outlets to manage: I show at fine art fairs, exhibit in galleries, compete in plein air competitions, manage my online shop, give artist talks, teach, write grants, take commissions, and live paint for weddings and events, all in addition to maintaining a regular studio practice. There is a constant mental negotiation as I try to navigate the fine line between taking on too much and too little.
That being said, every year has become incrementally easier as I build a sustainable practice and reinvest in myself. I feel like I have hit a new stride as many of my past efforts are finally coming to fruition. The Regional Arts Commission has funded several of my grant proposals over the years allowing me to move ahead with big purchases such as a professional art fair booth, equipment trailer, and converting my garage into a home studio. In the past year I have had a solo exhibition at the Saint Louis Artists Guild, completed a new collection for an exhibit at the Lambert International Airport as part of the Arts and Culture Program, been commissioned by commercial client, won multiple awards at art fairs, and been accepted for a residency at the Montgomery Botanical Research Garden in Miami. I’m finding a rhythm in this positive feedback cycle in which the more I seek out opportunities and put in the work, the more new opportunities become available. I have exciting things already on my calendar for 2025–follow me on social media or join my mailing list to see what comes next!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The spaces I depict range from cultivated public parks to urban alleyways, physical representations of community and connection. I am fascinated by the overlapping of memories occurring in these shared spaces and how this shapes community identity. In all of my work, I strive to maintain a sense of expressiveness through the use of saturated colors and confident brushstrokes which are a reminder of the process and the physicality of the material. Many of my paintings are created ‘en plein air,’ on location from direct observation, however, I am most interested in capturing the essence of the space rather than conforming strictly to realism.
I am thrilled that my visual style has developed to a point where people really recognize my work even in totally different contexts; one of my favorite things to hear is when someone recognizes my work from a past exhibit or online post. My use of color is definitely part of what makes my work stand apart. I use a vibrant base– fluorescent pigments that reflect light back through the oil painting–and I am a full spectrum colorist using all the colors on my palette to maintain high saturation. I prioritize the emotional experience of my work over exact replication of a scene, and one of the ways I achieve that is by intentionally exaggerating color relationships.
I am most proud of my current projects where I have partnered with conservation organizations. My series on view at the Lambert International Airport, “Shared Space,” (through June, 2025) depicts scenes from public bike paths and connected greenspaces across the greater Saint Louis region. To prepare for this series, I joined the Great Rivers Greenway as an ambassador and completed training to learn the history of several trails and lead public tours. I gained a deep appreciation for the natural resources of our protected greenspaces and the significant benefits they offer our community in terms of biodiversity and ecological resilience. I am proud to work alongside such incredible local conservationists and underscore the importance of their work and the value of our natural resources. I am also looking forward to my upcoming residency at the Montgomery Botanical Garden in Miami where I will be starting a new series of work similarly focused on the environmental impacts of the garden’s research efforts.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Whether looking to make a career out of your art or just looking to develop your voice as an artist, having a trusted mentor can be a great advantage. Creative careers are non-linear and every artist takes a different path and there is so much to figure out beyond the actual art making skills. A mentor can offer something of a template for what a career might look like and speed up the painful process of trial and error in finding what works for you. I’ve had several mentors over the years including Sandra McKenzie Schmitt (ceramics), Prof. Brigham Dimick (painting, URCA Grant Program), and Sharon Spillar (painting). Each had a different professional model and helped me understand what I wanted in my own practice.
The first thing I advise is start wherever you are; if you are in school, you might look to your teachers or professors for mentorship opportunities. Look locally for established programs–St Louis has many fantastic resources for artists! Take advantage of the free training workshops and programs. The Regional Arts Commission (RAC), Midwest Artist Project Services (MAPS), Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA), the Luminary, and the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) all have artist-focused programs and resources. Two programs I personally recommend from experience are Artist Inc. offered through RAC in partnership with M-AAA and the Emerging Artists as Entrepreneurs Program offered by the Saint Louis Art Fair.
Some other options are to look for peer-based groups. There are critique groups, business networking groups, as well as medium or subject specific groups. St Louis has several active and well-respected membership-based groups and guilds that provide a support system and exclusive access to resources. If there is an artist whose work or career path you particularly admire, it is worth taking a class; some artists may even be willing to work with you independently as a paid tutor or mentor.
Wherever you find that support system, try your best to be an equal part of that relationship and be generous with your time and energy. Keep in touch with your mentors and keep up with their career. A career in the arts is marked by a rollercoaster of highs and lows (rejection is a big part of the game) and having a trusted artist community has helped me navigate those ups and downs.
Pricing:
- Open Edition Prints start at $20
- Limited Edition Prints range from $30-100
- Original Watercolors start at $125
- Small original oil paintings start at $300
- Original oil paintings range from $450-5,500
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.sarahlorentz.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorentz_sarah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahLorentzArt
- Other: https://www.sarahlorentzshop.com/
