Daily Inspiration: Meet Sara Grace Lane

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Grace Lane.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My journey with art began when I was around eight or nine taking art classes from an older lady in my small farming town outside of Raleigh, NC called Archer Lodge.

My teacher’s meager studio, bursting with brushes, paints, and other supplies collected over the 60 years she had been in the profession, was where my little creative spirit felt at home. When my art teacher passed away, I was going to college and began to drift away from art. I had always heard art could never be a profitable or sustainable career so it essentially needed to remain a hobby if I wanted to have a happy life.

With that untrue statement rattling in my mind, I never seriously considered being an artist until after I went through a very challenging period of my life. Halfway through college, I underwent a major spinal surgery which took a significant amount of perseverance to overcome. After going through a lot of mental strain I was naturally drawn back to my creative practice. The peace and comfort I found were irreplaceable and much needed. I returned with a deeper appreciation for my art felt that being able to create again was such a gift.

Once I was back on my feet I hit the ground running and started painting every day. The word spread and people began contacting me for custom paintings, specifically watercolor portraits of their beloved pets. My type-A mind sought out to learn everything I could, not only about the art practice but about the logistics of owning a creative business. I wanted to know if the challenges in this career exceeded the payoff. Thanks to the upheaval of my recovery while I was sick, I had much more grit and determination to seek out a profitable art career.

Since I couldn’t see myself doing anything else nearly as fulfilling with my life, I decided to try it out on a small scale and go from there. In 2021 I opened an Etsy shop launching my official art business I called Sage and Grey Studio, selling custom pet portraits as well as oil-painted landscapes. I started sharing my work more and more on my social media, through influencers, as well as in-person through markets and art shows.

I believe in a home should be a welcoming and comfortable space that truly reflects the people living there. I grew up in a warm, tight-knit family that viewed our home as a place to rest and share with others. I hope these values that are deeply rooted in my family and me, are conveyed through my work. Today, I find myself sharing this message through coastal impressionist-style landscapes consisting of warm, vintage tones.

Through the scenery I create and the colors I use, I want to create a peaceful and soft feeling that can set the tone for the home it is displayed in. As my business grows, I hope my work continues to offer a connection between you and your space.

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 am a hard-working perfectionist to a fault, which can cause a lot of stress considering we live in a very imperfect world where mistakes happen. Of course in the beginning stages of owning a business, typically one person handles the work of a team. The accounting, creative marketing, social media, customer service, event planning, and doing the actual thing you created the business for.

With all of these things to juggle, I became consumed and wanted to do everything to perfection, which led to burnout. I love working as an artist, but I don’t love overbooking myself and staying up until 3 AM working on a commissioned painting. No one is asking me to win a Peace Prize and conquer the world by age 30, so I don’t know why I act like it.

I took a step back and analyzed what changes needed to be made to make the process more sustainable and enjoyable. With the business in my hands, it’s my goal to set a tone of awareness without anxiety because at the end of the day this is still something I am truly passionate about and love to do.

Life doesn’t have to be as serious as my over-achiever personality can make it out to be.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Pet portraits have played a large part in growing my audience. I discovered people are just as obsessed with their pets as I am when I started getting tons of orders. I primarily use watercolors for these paintings as well as pastels in some cases.

I have also worked on several other commissioned pieces such as landscape paintings, oyster paintings, Mahi Mahi paintings, and children’s portraits. I still work on pet portraits, as they are highly requested, but I have lessened the time I spend on them, and commissioned work in general, to focus on my own collection of oil paintings. Oil paintings have always been a love of mine all throughout my studies so it has been such a joy to return to them.

It certainly takes time to develop a unique style true to my brand, but I am hoping to release my first large oil collection this year. The style of these paintings will be heavily inspired by the colors and textures of the coast. I am always drawn to vintage-inspired tones and scenes and hope to incorporate that into my collection as well.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Take a moment each week to look back on your progress. I guarantee you have learned more in that short amount of time than you realize. When you look back, acknowledge your accomplishments but also evaluate how much free time you had that previous week.

The grind is real when it comes to starting your own business, but it doesn’t have to take away from your personal life. It’s important to create a balance unique to you that allows you to still enjoy your work and have time for the other people in your life.

I became burnt out so quickly because I didn’t set aside this time until I was forced to. No one will praise you for taking a little longer to accomplish your goals, but your well-being will reap the benefits.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @sageandgrey_studio
• Facebook: @sageandgreystudio