Sara Kettlewell

My constant passion in life is art – a way to freely voice my thoughts and emotions on a canvas. In school I developed skills in stain glass painting, candle making and paint by numbers which subsequently lead me to draw portraits. As a developing artist, the opportunities to evolve and experiment with new techniques and ideas truly drives my motivation to create abstract work.

An early interest in art sparked whilst I was taught history, especially the Renaissance period. I thrived when ‘dissecting’ paintings and interpreting the artist’s intentions through their use of colour, shape and positioning. Inspired by Robert Browning’s poem, ‘Porphyria’s Lover’, my expressive portfolio unveils possession, jealousy and darkness – telling a story with a message waiting to be translated.

I then chose to pursue a degree in International Business at Glasgow Caledonian University, where I learned about human values and cross-cultural differences. When merging my intrigue in art and business studies, I found that regardless of nationality, the appearance of an artist’s canvas may look different to those of others, but the concept of expression remains unique.

As a student, I promoted and sold personalised commissions, including family portraits, pets and mixed media erotic pieces. Moving onto digital art, I developed portraits by embracing realism. I currently produce my work with original and spontaneous ideas, showcasing a peculiar mixture of humour, honesty, darkness and confidence.