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Sarah Cartlidge is an artist who lives and works in Gloucestershire, UK. She is inspired by the natural world. Her work is process led and focuses upon themes such as light and shadows, reflections and cyclical change.

" My process starts with drawing and expressing ideas and concepts by exploring form, colour and composition."

Email: sarah@sarahcartlidge.co.uk

Instagram: cartlidge.s

As a visual artist Sarah uses a variety of media including collage, mixed media, painting, pastel, photography, and printmaking.

Sarah studied Fine Art as a mature student at Stroud School of Art. In 2022, she exhibited her work as part of the final degree show, Studio Zero
https://artinstroud.wixsite.com/index

Studio Zero was jointly devised and curated by the final year students.

Springtime, 2023, series of prints, 14cm x 14cm

Sarah's recent project focuses upon the changes she observes during her daily walks. This series of small studies explores colour, form and composition. Re-using details from black and white monoprints made last year these small studies are 14cm x 14cm. The colour of new shoots, leaves and spring flowers has been printed in acrylic paint.

Sacred Pathways, 2022

Sarah's project documents her experience of walking and mindfulness. Sacred Pathways focuses upon the sense of awe that can be found from spending time in nature. During her daily walks photography became an important way to research, implement, refine, and resolve ideas. These photographic sketches are often abstractions of natural forms that are the starting point for new work.

Sarah’s practice is process led. Ideas and concepts are expressed through an exploration of form, colour and composition. Her initial ideas arose from noticing things that are usually overlooked including natural forms such as plants, rocks, water, light and shadows. Spending time making observations of everyday objects and paying attention to form and colour is an important part of Sarah's process.

While making work for this project Sarah applied the pilgrim principles of resting, reflecting, and receiving to her daily walk and mindfulness practice. Her series of mixed media pieces explore different ways to make work that represent direct experiences alongside indirect reflections.

Sacred Pathways was part of a group exhibition in Stroud, Gloucestershire, May - June 2022.

Winter, 2022,
Photo grid, 30cm x 30cm

One of a series of grids that combine nine colour photographic sketches.

Shadows, 2022,
Ink on tracing paper, 83cm x 59cm

This is one of a series that explores durational drawings. Each combines images on three layered pieces of paper.

Yellow, Green and White, 2022
collage, 13cm x 13cm

This is one of a series of paper cut collages. These small studies are inspired by the emerging colours of spring.

Clay Tiles, 2022,
clay and cherry blossom, 6cm x 6cm

This series of 9 clay tiles are part of work that explores how humans and nature are related.

Endangered Series, 2022,
paper collage, 25cm x 30cm

This black and white paper collage was a starting point for making work about biodiversity loss and climate change. This series focuses upon species within Gloucestershire that are named on the Red List Index as being at threat of extinction. The work here represents a local species of snail Lauria sempronii. Other works in the series represent the high brown fritillary butterfly, Argynnis adippe and the skylark, Alauda arvensis.
Each collage uses letters from the Latin names of endangered species that are part of the Biodiversity Action Plan for Gloucestershire. Cutting up the printed names and reassembling the pieces make the text illegible. The scientific classification and order of letters is disrupted in the same way that nature has been disordered as a consequence of human behaviour and climate change.

Colour and Form Series, 2021, digital collage, 20cm x 20cm

This series is part of an exploration of form, colour and composition. These small studies are created digitally using photopea.com.

Collage Series, no.s 1-4 (of 8), 2021

This series of paper cut drawings and collages were part of an enquiry into creating work during lockdown. Inspiration arose from noticing things within the home that were routinely overlooked prior to lockdown measures. Daily observations of natural light casting shadows, awareness of forms that make up everyday items and paying attention to colour and tone in household objects became the starting point for this series.

The process starts with drawing from observation. The layered paper cut collages combine materials that have been discarded. Compositionally each piece is worked on until the work is resolved. These quiet and reflective pieces capture the beauty that can be found in everyday life.

Walk, no.s 1-4, 2020

This series of works explores durational drawing; each drawing represents the experience of an autumnal walk. The original drawings were made during daily walks throughout lockdown. The action of walking took a creative role in the process. Marks were made whilst walking; pastels marked the paper held in a bag tied to the artist’s waist band. The original works are 10cm x 15cm on cartridge paper; pastel marks are visible on the front, back and edges of the paper. Flecks, specks, dots and dashes travel outwards from a central area of intense colour.

This series explores the relationship between light and shadow.

The light sculptures are created when artificial light is reflected by 3D structures.

This project examines the transitory nature of shadows; layers of light create shapes that shift and colours that change.

Information about sales and commissions upon request

Email: sarah@sarahcartlidge.co.uk

Instagram: cartlidge.s.

2023 Environmental Sustainability Statement

I acknowledge that the world is in a state of climate emergency that requires urgent action. I am committed to addressing the environmental impact of my work by developing an art practice that is environmentally sustainable.

Areas of focus for 2023 include:

Continue to make work that uses found materials (e.g. collage papers), and continue to make work that re-uses and incorporates artwork that I have produced previously.

Continue making work that focuses on biodiversity loss and climate change.

Start to source materials that are produced in a way that minimises environmental impact (e.g.100% recycled paper).

Analyse my consumption levels related to making work including the type of materials used, the sourcing and delivery of materials and resources, how I travel e.g. to meet up with other artists, and to visit exhibitions etc, the impact of my use of IT, social media and cloud based technologies etc.

Identify ways to reduce consumption by exploring alternative ways of doing things.