In conversation with Sarah Isbel Hill
From her home studio on the east coast of New South Wales, Sarah Isbel Hill’s art is about connecting with nature and herself.
Whether it’s the natural environment around her, the playful marks her daughter makes with her paintbrushes, studying the art of others or looking at her own past works, Sarah finds inspiration everywhere – considering the harmony of colours, the shapes, and combining it all to inform her work, with loose references found on every canvas.
Having grown up in a creative family where she was always encouraged to pursue art, she remembers drawing lots from a young age, as well as craft-making and sewing.
“I still have a pencil case from primary school that I’d labouriously hand-sewn, including the lining, a zip and a pocket,” says says. “I had a strong internal drive to make, which continued throughout my childhood. Although, ironically, I wasn’t much interested in painting.”
This love of making saw Sarah eventually study Fine Arts at Newcastle University where her passion was in ceramic sculpture – though she did start slowly dabbling in painting and developing a feel for how she could use paint.
“After graduating, I moved back to a rural area and it seemed like my pursuit of an art practice was not going to be successful; I was isolated from the art community I had been a part of while studying and there weren’t the same opportunities that the internet provides these days, especially when you are in a rural setting. I told myself a lot of excuses too, like not being good enough and not having the right space.”
Sarah began working in disability services, exploring craft and creative projects as hobbies – including an addiction to crochet. “We were starting a family and doing lots of home renovations. I was busy and happy, but I also had a profound sense of regret and shame when walking into galleries or watching other artists forge ahead,” she shares.
“Years later, we had a major loss when our second son was stillborn at six months. After that, it felt like we needed to make changes – I wanted to run away, but the next best thing was moving house. In 2018 after having our third child, we bought a property out of town that had so much space and a room I could transform into a studio.
“Slowly, I got back into thinking about starting art again and started tutoring my nephew, which then turned into a children’s art business. It was a lot of fun with a lot of learning curves, but Covid appeared and made it really tricky to continue running the workshops. In hindsight, our loss had been a catalyst for a lot of change in our lives and it finally felt like everything had fallen into place to start my own practice. There were no more excuses and I remember saying to myself, ‘What are you doing? Just start making!’
“Since I’ve started making again, it’s given me space to rediscover myself outside of being a mother.”
At the moment, it’s acrylics on canvas or board that Sarah has been gravitating to in the studio, appreciative of how quickly they dry – meaning she can complete the layers on a work quicker with less “stalling” in the creative process.
“There’s normally a lot of scrappy sketching and some colour swatching when I start a new piece or collection, but because my process is quite intuitive, a lot of the decision-making happens while painting and I really enjoy taking my time to contemplate each work’s progress. I don’t think I could ever fully plan a collection beforehand.
“Often, I’m indirectly thinking about the next painting while I’m working on the one in front of me. It simmers away in the background – there might be something I saw that worked well or that I would like to explore further that leads the way to the next and the next. I once heard artist Joshua Yeldham explain it as having a ‘mother’ painting which forms the seeds that begin the rest of the collection; that’s something I really identify with.”
This sense of wonder and limitless potential of every new work is Sarah’s favourite part of painting – the way colours, mediums and marks come together in beautifully unexpected ways. “It’s not necessarily knowing what you are doing, then suddenly it’s taking form and the moment you see if coming together is like magic – you get lost in it.”
The hardest part for the artist, though, is not letting self-doubt take over.
“When I talk with other creatives it’s a theme that comes up over and over again, not just in emerging artists, but much more established and successful ones too. When you start letting self-doubt creep in too much, things like imposter syndrome and making unhealthy comparisons to others come into play. I’m not sure it’s something that can be completely overcome, because there are a lot of external forces that are triggering, but knowing that it comes with the territory and finding strategies to minimise those thoughts help to keep the wolves at bay.”
Sarah’s advice to new artists is to keep doing the work that inspires you.
“It sounds cliché, but good things really do take time, as frustrating as that feels. Find your people because having some kind of supporting network or artists, family and friends as sounding boards or to cheer you on is almost essential. Also, make an achievable goal to work towards. It doesn’t have to be big – just something that you can focus on, like exhibiting in local group shows or entering art prizes. This doesn’t only help keep you on track but it gets eyes on your work. Take every opportunity you can manage, you have nothing to lose.”
Following her own advice, and acting on the support of her sister, Sarah entered the Jumbled Art Prize in 2023, which she went on to be named as a finalist.
“Since then, I’ve had a lot more exposure and opportunities than I could have ever dreamt of and catch myself wondering what could come next and where could this lead?
“It’s only through practice that you can make any progress with finding direction, making lots of different kinds of art and even making lots of bad art. Also, being inspired by other artists and asking yourself why an artwork you like is successful or interesting. It all helps.”
