Sarah McGrath: Kindred Spirits

Sarah McGrath is an Australian artist specialising in oil painting, her move into painting full-time, developed from her work in illustration and graphic design.

Sarah lives and works in her studio in the Harbourside suburb of Mosman in Sydney and draws inspiration from the bird life on her daily walks in the national parks around the foreshore.

Painting in oils and excelling in the style of contemporary realism, Sarah’s paintings have an almost photo-like quality.

In her still life practice, Sarah is drawn to vintage tableware and fabrics as well as sentimental objects that draw on feelings of nostalgia, her inclusion of small birds and parrots in her paintings add a feeling of movement and curiosity that draws in the eye of the viewer. Sarah’s aim is to capture the everyday narrative of simple objects and birds by rendering light and reflections to create a strong sense of a quiet atmosphere. Her overall artwork style is achieved through fine detail and traditional painting methods of fine layers and glazes to create a reflective piece of artwork.

Sarah has been selected in a range of art prizes including the Ravenswood Art Prize, Hornsby Art Prize and most recently the Kennedy Art Prize. Sarah has been included in many exhibitions including the recent Inverell Contemporary Exhibition 2024.