ABOUT SARAH

Sarah Amiel was born on Long Island and moved to New York City after receiving her bachelor degree in Advertising from Michigan State University. She earned her MPS graduate degree in Art Therapy from the School of Visual Arts, NY in 2011, with a concentration in challenged populations. In working with at-risk youth and children in various settings, she learned how to promote a sense of mastery with clients that offset the learned helplessness acquired during traumatic experience—reintroducing clients to the experience of play in a safe way.

While writing her master’s thesis, she simultaneously completed a feature screenplay based on her own childhood experience. She landed an agent, moved to Los Angeles, produced multiple docuseries and feature specs... all that failed to sell.

Following a period of personal transformative growth, she shifted her focus from writing and producing back to painting - with a wiser and more informed perspective. She was (and continues to be) committed to the process of creation.

Sarah’s visual storytelling examines group interactions and relationships through various mediums. She is interested in the theory of 'rupture and repair' within the framework of human relationships and the trauma that surrounds those experiences. She translates those accounts onto the canvas using ink, acrylic and oil paint, pastels (and a dash of humor) to convey the emotions of a layered story.

Recently, Sarah has been experimenting within the frame of digital art and responding to the environment around her with shapes and colors.

She currently resides in Los Angeles and can be seen on the West Side pounding green juice, practicing yoga and perfecting Transcendental Meditation (otherwise known as the LA cliché).

ABOUT THE WORK

I seek stories behind the relationships we have with ourselves, objects and environments — and create an interpretation. To understand the way in which two or more concepts, objects and people are connected is where I find the spark. I communicate my interpretations through layers of both oil and acrylic paint; I create texture by using a range of techniques — one is laying down oil under acrylic (going against the ‘fat over lean’ paint rule) — this process of two mediums that normally repel results in an arguably non-archival relationship. I build upon each layer with charcoal, gesso and pastels. Each piece seeks to create balance within the context of ‘the relationship’ — the end result being a growth experience both off and on the canvas. When using digital art, I respond the environment in the same way, except using digital versions of the paint which creates a more refined look on prints.

EDUCATION

2011
School of Visual Arts
MPS in Art Therapy

2002
Michigan State University
BA, Advertising and Communications

1998-2002
Fashion Institute of Technology
Saturday Live Program