Sara Lynch is a mixed media artist living and working in one of the northern most parts of New York State. From 2002 to 2006 she attended Alfred University and then returned home to Potsdam, NY to run the after school program at a daycare center.

Sara has attended Medalta International Artists Residency, The Penland School of Crafts, Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts, and the Women’s Studio Workshop for residencies and workshops in ceramics. She also attended the Vermont Studio Center for a four week residency in painting.

Sara now works full time as an artist, working one on one with clients to create for them the art they want.

Carrie: Welcome to Artist Strong Sara, if you could choose three words to describe your art, what would you choose?

Intense, precious, and funny.

Carrie: What media/materials do you work with and why?

I create works in various types of ceramic materials as well as paintings. I like the history behind these traditional materials as well as their limitations, which are fun to play with. Through painting I collect large amounts of small objects that I hand stitch onto the surface of my paintings. After awhile I realized many of these objects were wonderful in their own right and I began to turn them into jewelry.

Carrie: How did you discover your idea for creating your wonderful ceramic animals (such as the ones highlighted on your home page for your website)?

I tend to view everyday objects as having animal-like or human-like qualities. When I first started making pottery, it seemed only natural to make work that emphasized what I was already imagining.

Carrie: Can you describe your artistic process to readers? For example, do you follow the same pattern and track when you develop an artwork from idea to product?

It usually starts with something unrelated to visual art. I’ll read a poem, hear a song, be sitting meditating, or just talking to someone about something random and an idea will pop into my head. I then write down and sketch out ideas in my sketch book or on the nearest scrap of paper. Some ideas are built up with more and more layers of ideas that are similarly collected. They are then brought into reality through fabric, paint, or clay, while others are abandoned.

Carrie: How do your interests outside of art fuel your artwork?

I live with a large rabbit and a small cat which pretty obviously influence my work. I also enjoy reading, meditating, and meditative activities like running, swimming, biking, gardening, and yoga. Many of my ideas come to me while doing these activities and not purposely thinking about creating.

Carrie: How do you know when an artwork is finished?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. When it says it’s done.

Carrie: Can you share one challenge you’ve faced as an artist and how you’ve dealt with it?

The biggest challenge is wanting to do everything. Almost every art form and intellectual pursuit looks appealing to me at some point yet there is only so much time in a day. My work is dependent on my exploration of a lot of seemingly random things, but I know I can only go down so many rabbit holes. I’m striving to find a healthy balance between exploration and focus, but I wonder if such a thing is really possible.

Carrie: What strategies do you use to help yourself when you feel “stuck?”

I take naps, drink tea, go running or skiing depending on the weather, do yoga, clean and go through my supplies, take a bath, get lots of sleep, and then get back to work. The best way to get unstuck, is to just get to work.

Carrie: Who/what inspires you?

I am inspired a great deal by the natural world but also by other artists. I love to go to museums and I have a Pinterest board dedicated to the artists’ work I love. I am currently reading a book called The Natural History Of the Senses. It’s a bit dated but is really interesting. I also enjoy the blog posts of Martha Beck as they include humorous anecdotes about nature and poems by other authors.

Carrie: What is one creative resource you can’t live without?

Electricity. Think about it: could you create in the dark?

Carrie: How do you define Creativity?

Creativity is being able to see multiple solutions to a problem.

“My work relies on my exploration of a lot of random things, but I can only go down so many rabbit holes.” (Click to Tweet)

BE COURAGEOUSLY CREATIVE: Do you struggle with choosing one area of art investigation? How do you navigate your interest in multiple art forms? I want to know! Tell me about it in the comments below.

Additional Contact Info:

Artist Website

Facebook Page

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