I first found out about Sarah’s secret life as an artist a few months ago when she told me about her upcoming Emergent Artist show at Mainsite. That show is opening this Friday from 7-9 and also features work by Danford Mitchell, Michael Lortz, and Eric Wright. It’s a pretty big deal. You might want to swing by.

Where are you from?
Oh dear. I was born in Chicago but came to Oklahoma City via Memphis, Albuquerque, San Francisco, and Virginia Beach. I went to high school in Edmond, USA. These days I like to call Norman my home.

What do you do?
So much, but I’ll try to be brief.

I cook for children in a Waldorf initiative (based largely on principles from this program) 5 days a week. We eat really well. The schoolhouse is nearly finished and kindergarten starts in January. Most of the rest of the time, I make collage paintings. They’re a continuation of a project I started about two years ago- what I call a “dream map”; taping and sewing together my photographs, some painting and text, lots of ephemera and paper “trash”. It was out of control in many ways, and it got too big to work on in my space, so I started these paintings, which are more controlled and easily read. They’re loose chronicles of my dreams and waking life, and they are very stream of consciousness, so much so that I’m often surprised (and ideally delighted) by what arrives.

Who or what do you use for inspiration?
So much. Life! To be more specific (and verbose) I have always loved JMW Turner; I just drool over his color and gestures. Hannah Hoch’s work was introduced to me at the beginning of my foray into “collage-painting”, and I just found another person in a Modern Art textbook (aptly named “Modern Art”) but I forgot her name, which is so typical. She’s got these moody, foggy, ephemeral watercolor color blocks bleeding into each other… and I want that. Tapiès and early Paul Klee. I’ve had the great privilege to travel often; I’ve seen many great things inside and outside of great museums and all of that wonderful stuff is still floating around in my head. I’m also motivated/inspired by chance and chaos, trees and their falling leaves, the moon and her cycles, dreams and patterns, patterns in my dreams, my past, present and future, outside, walks, complementary colors, maps and the seasons. Words and their communicative value and formations are important too. I like to use them texturally (ha!) aesthetically, practically, and symbolically.

What artists do you respect right now?
My Mother, Leslie Lienau, forever and always. Jean Lancri.

Everyone who’s serious about and loves what they do and strives to do it well. We are all capable of being artists, and art is all around us. I absolutely believe and respect that.

What are you sick of?
Negativity, apathy, processed food that masquerades as “healthy”. Eat real butter folks, you’ll live till you’re ninety. I really shouldn’t get started, ‘cause I really am sick of negativity. It’s way too easy for me to be attached to it.

What music are you listening to recently?
I could listen to “Ballad of a Thin Man” everyday. Same goes for Jerry Garcia and his pals, especially early 70’s Grateful Dead and all of the “Jam Sessions”, Dylan’s Desire Sessions, Blonde on Blonde, Blood on the Tracks, The Rolling Stones, Del McCoury, The Roches, Janis Joplin, Ravi Shankar. I always love to hear Hilary (Penny Hill), and the other night I heard John Calvin and his band play. Holy Shit, I love it.

What is your first creative memory?
I’ve always been surrounded by painting. The smells of oil and watercolor paint, charcoal, turpentine, all those wondrous, vaguely toxic painting smells are the first things that come to mind. As for myself actively creating… early memories involve playing “dress-up” and “make-believe” alone or with my sister and brother and our friends. I am very fortunate to have always had the opportunity to use my imagination liberally and elaborately.

What is your favorite food/drank spot in Norman?
The school for most meals ‘cause I know just what I’m eating and it is very good. Otherwise, Pepe’s, The Earth, Forward Foods, Misal, and, of course, home. I’m so glad that Gray Owl is open and thriving.

Anything else?
Isn’t there? I’m eternally grateful to my friends and mentors for giving me love and critiques. There has been lots of positive growth these past two years thanks to you all. And thanks to you! One thing I used to dream about was being interviewed for something I’d done. Hopefully I’ll have this chance again in other venues, but I may now say “check.”