Meet Sarah

Lansing-based multi-media artist Sarah Hillman was born in Cape Town, South Africa, raised in Windhoek, Namibia, and moved permanently to Michigan after graduating high school. Sarah drew her first portrait at age two (it was of Rumpelstiltskin, and it looked like a sad potato), and she has been making art ever since. Over the years, her technique and skill has greatly improved, and today, very few of her portraits resemble potatoes at all.

Sarah works in a variety of mediums, including watercolor, digital painting, ceramic sculpture and ‘rock art’ (which is the fine art of finding rocks on the beach and gluing them onto mat board!) She uses her art to celebrate the beauty of the natural world, teach her three children about life and tell stories. She paints and creates clay sculptures for the sheer joy of it. Rock art, however, she makes so she can justify going to the beach A LOT during the summer.

Artist Statement

My work tends to be a celebration of the many things I am passionate about. I was raised by a geographer who adored the natural world and by a teacher who loved people. As such, I focus on subjects that celebrate nature, but I also love to tell stories with my pictures and capture meaningful moments in people’s lives.

When working with rocks found on the shores of Michigan’s lakes, I allow the shapes and textures of the stones to help me create pictures that capture the joy of life in all its variety. When working with clay, I focus primarily on the natural world, with subjects that range from flowers and grasses, to birds and butterflies. Drawing and painting are the mediums I use to capture portraits of people, illustrate stories for children and explore the beauty of life.

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