With over 25 years of experience as a professional Artist, Sarah McDonald is now well known for richly textured and evocative oil paintings that she makes from her studio in the foothills of Adelaide, South Australia.

 

Sarah’s work is deeply rooted in themes of nature, texture, and connection, with a focus on how light and colour interact in the world around her.

Plein air painting is essential to Sarah’s process allowing her to connect directly with the landscape, capturing its energy and essence in real-time. Sharpening her awareness of how light, colour, and texture interact in a specific moment, this practice is crucial preparation for her studio work in which she aims to evoke emotion and atmosphere rather than precise realism. 

 

Art Residencies have become important to Sarah’s art practice, allowing her really to immerse herself and experience place.

Sarah has had over 20 Solo Exhibitions around Australia, and many more Group shows. She has been a Finalist in several Art Prizes including, The Pro Hart Outback Art Prize, The John Villiers Outback Prize, receiving 3rd place, The Fleurier Biennale, The Kennedy Art Prize, The Lethbridge Art Prize, The Omnia Prize, the 9 x 5 Prize for Landscape, The Adelaide Hills Art Prize, and the Port Pirie Art Prize, which she won in 2016.