Discover Beautiful Abstract Art
ALL, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES ·
We’re excited to introduce you to Ellicott City, MD abstract artist Sarah Intemann. Check out the interview below to get to know Sarah and her artwork a little more. Enjoy!
All images are from the website of the artists we feature. Some links may be affiliate links which means we may earn commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps support our team & allows us to keep our features completely free for artists.
Large Scale Abstract – Line Focused Work
I draw a lot of visual vocabulary from nature. Mostly patterns I see in rocks, plants, coral. And fluid/abstract patterns in water and smoke. Even something as simple as cracks in the sidewalk, or veins in plant leaves. I’m basically inspired by little microcosms/patterns in our daily environment.
I want to say that the goal is to make something beautiful, but that’s not quite the right word. I’d say it’s more like, wanting to make something captivating and stimulating. I often find myself painting a puzzle of my own making. Which is exciting, frustrating, invigorating, and completely consuming at times. And the end goal is always to make something that I find stimulating, and anyone looking at it will also find also find stimulating in their own unique way. If they don’t, that’s fine, but I hope they do. I hope to excite and inspire people.
I’d have to say that it’s the feeling of absolute freedom to paint whatever comes to me. And the excitement of letting the medium do whatever chaotic and beautiful thing it wants to do. Then having the challenge to come back in and refine or redefine things. It’s sort of a dance that wavers between impulsivity and complete concentration. It’s such an interesting place to be, mentally.
I went to two different colleges that approached teaching art in different ways. The first college I went to, there was a lot of focus on line-oriented work. Lots of contour drawing and using line weight to create depth. The second college was more classical and traditional. Lots of figure studies, landscapes, still lifes, all in oil, and all focused on studying color and how it can reflect on other surfaces. But I really value having learned from schools that approached art a bit differently, and being able to learn those skills and use them to create something that is more uniquely me. To put those different skills in my basket, and pull out what I need when i need it.
I guess if I had to use any descriptive words, I guess I’d use complexity, depth, and intrigue.
I was actually pre-med when I first went to college, and was a microbiology/molecular biology major. Not making art for those first 2 years of college threw me into a tailspin, and had me re-evaluating what I was doing and what I wanted to do.
I did not always know. I was good at art, but I really wanted to be a doctor and help people. After 2 years of studying the sciences, I ended up taking an abstract art course at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland, and I completely connected with painting abstract works. It resonated on a base level and honestly on a euphoric level that I had never experienced before. I thought, this is it. This is me. This is what I’m meant to do. I changed my major and never looked back. I dove right into exploring it, head first.
I guess I’d say tenacity and determination. And most importantly you have to enjoy it. So when a piece completely fails, there’s still an enjoyment in working with the medium. Then tenacity/determination gets you past the failure. You can say “oh well, that was fun…” and then move onto the next one. And have fun again.
I’d say have the courage to experiment always. No matter what the result. There’s a lot of failed work that comes with experimentation, but there’s no point in getting discouraged and letting it deter you from creating more. Those failures can be stepping stones to something really great.
I’m mostly inspired by artist documentaries and watching how artists create their work. I watch a lot of Art21. I guess being a visual person, I occasional listen to podcasts, but have a harder time with them as I want to see the work they’re talking about, so I tend to lean towards documentaries that show their process/work.
Honestly, just the act of painting itself. Putting intrinsic feelings and emotions that I may not be able to express in words onto a canvas, and using paint to express those abstract feelings and thoughts? It’s such a therapeutic process. To sound completely cheesy, it’s quite magical, ha.
I want to paint larger pieces, and I finally have the studio space to do so, so that’s pretty exciting. I see my art increasing in scale and that will hopefully take me to new adventurous places.
To learn more about Ellicott City, MD abstract artist Sarah Intemann and see more of her paintings, click the button below.
We hope you enjoy discovering and learning more about these amazing abstract artists. Thanks for being here!
Copyright © 2023 Abstract Artists
Leave a Reply