Katie · Sarra
Painting of a red swirl set with peacock eyes

Katie Sarra Art

Paintings

I spent years inland, longing for the ocean, and began painting the sea over and over, like a prayer. Painting the sea is a conversation between my inner waters and her waves, currents, moods, depths and hues.

The paintings and the practice are the same enquiry carried out with different materials. Both are about what happens when something that has been hidden is finally looked at without being corrected.

In 2009 I was named artist of the year at the Erotic Awards, nominated by Dr Tuppy Owens, for healing body image through painting people with radical acceptance and love.


The collections

Ocean of Dreams — the sea. Animal Inspirations — the creatures of the sea, the land and the air: turtles, jellyfish, shoals and the prawn, alongside the elephants, owls, lions and zebras. It is the collection I keep adding to. Intimate Oils — the body. Eros — poppies, dahlias, seedheads. Eye of Sound — the abstracts, painted live in performance with flamenco guitarist Adam Westcott.


Originals and prints

Prints are giclée on cotton rag, made to order.

  • Longest side 40 cm — £85
  • Longest side 60 cm — £165
  • Longest side 90 cm — £295
  • Signed limited edition of fifty, 90 cm — £595

Originals and prints are both arranged by enquiry. Do write if one of these interests you, or if you would like to see what else is in the studio.

Enquire about a painting


Where the work has been shown

The Sea Light Gallery in Dawlish — my own gallery, coffee lounge, performance and workshop space, opened in 2015 by the Lord Mayor. Cedar Farm Exhibition Hall in Mawdesley, Lancashire, where several works hang now. Teignmouth Art Gallery. And Erotica, in 2010.

The Eye of Sound performances — painting live while Adam Westcott played flamenco guitar — were given at the Sea Light Gallery, at Cedar Farm and at Teignmouth Art Gallery. One of them was filmed.

If the film does not play here, you can watch it on YouTube.

I have also run painting retreats at the Manor House and the Riverside Centre in Dawlish, and at the Garden House at Cliffden in Teignmouth, which was built for visually impaired guests — where we built a giant textured rhino to be understood by touch.

Gold turtle swimming across bright green water
Untitled — title arriving
Close study of a turtle shell in gold over a reef
Untitled — title arriving
Elephant painted in gold and green
Untitled — title arriving
Jellyfish with an orange bell in blue water
Untitled — title arriving
Spotted fish in green water
Untitled — title arriving
Dark green turtle in deep teal water
Untitled — title arriving
Cloud building over a grey-green sea
Untitled — title arriving
Green and gold sea under a calm horizon
Untitled — title arriving
White surf running up ochre sand
Untitled — title arriving
Layered jade and green sea
Untitled — title arriving
Red rock forms and flesh tones
Untitled — title arriving
Pale sphere lit with feathered light
Untitled — title arriving

Images are details. Full works, dimensions and prices on request.