Check Out Sarah Jane Tart’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Jane Tart. 

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Today I may be a full-time artist, but back in 2011, when I was graduating high school, I had no idea that this is where I’d be at 30 years old! Even though I loved art, I had no idea that it could really be a career option when I was growing up. So, I looked into science because I love nature, but ultimately, I found graphic design. 

I fell in love with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I thrived in the project-based classes, and I quickly decided to concentrate in graphic design. Along the way, I found myself taking most of my electives within the art department. I would then integrate my drawings and paintings into graphic design projects! 

One day, a local advertising agency gave a presentation showcasing some of their recent projects. They were doing creative work like I had never seen before, and they were having a fun time making it. I knew immediately that I had to work there! 

The Monday after my college graduation, I started working as a studio artist at that very same advertising agency. I worked on some neat projects, went on work trips to New York City, and had a great group of coworkers! There were also a lot of late nights, crazy busy days, and slow times, too. 

During the slow times, I turned to art. I started taking Skillshare classes, mostly in lettering and illustration. After work, I would take local art classes, create tiny paintings in the bedroom of my apartment, and make hand-drawn cards for friends and family. 

At the encouragement of a book designer I’d met on one of my NYC trips, I made an art Instagram account. Around the same time, friends began asking if they could buy my artwork, and I started designing custom wedding invitations. 

Then in 2017, I got engaged and began a new graphic design job with more normal hours, giving me more time to paint. And the following year, my [now] husband gave me a beautiful easel as a wedding gift, which made it much easier to paint larger pieces! So, my first foray into the fine art world was a collection of flowers inspired by my wedding bouquet and painted on my new easel. 

I experimented with watercolors, acrylics, and oils. I painted more flowers, woodland scenes, and trees. But the true creative breakthrough came when I painted a Bald Head Island marsh scene for my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day. 

Everything fell into place for me with that painting. It was a 24×36 in. acrylic painting on a cradled wood panel. I had done a few small watercolor paintings of the marshland, but nothing that big or in acrylic. It reminded me of the creeks and fields I would play in as a child, plus it was just fun to make! I loved everything about it, and I never looked back! 

Several coffee shop installations, lots of pop-up markets, classes, and paintings later, I landed my first two art galleries. And in January of this year, I was finally able to replace my graphic design salary and paint full-time! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’m finding that there are always challenges when you work for yourself, but that’s part of the fun — it keeps it interesting! 

One early struggle was figuring out how to run a business. Thankfully, I found a great online business course called The Blueprint Model by Shanna Skidmore that helped a ton! 

With painting, there’s also the ever-present challenge of getting the ideas in your head onto canvas. Every painting gets a little bit closer to closing that gap, taking you from where you are to where you want to be! 

And right now, my biggest hurdle is deciding how to best structure my year and my days in this creative life! 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a Christian artist based in Wilmington, NC, and I paint peaceful coastal landscapes for happy homes! I explore quiet moments in nature, painting the beauty of Creation that surrounds us every day. 

My art is often described as calm, joyful, light, and airy, and I’m overjoyed to have paintings and fine art prints in homes across the U.S. 

I work primarily in acrylics on birchwood panels, sometimes painting en plein air so I can enjoy the scenery while I work! Recently, I painted en plein air for Magnolia at their annual Spring at the Silos event in Waco, TX. 

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I find happiness in lots of little moments: ice cream dates, a bouquet of fresh flowers, snuggling my golden retriever, a cheerful color palette, conversations with sweet friends, a good book, searching for seashells, and marveling at the sky above! 

I like to sprinkle bits of happiness into every part of my life because why not? 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahjanetart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjanetart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahjanetart/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/sarahjanetart/

Image Credits
Emily March Payne