During my time as Artist in Residence at The Alfred Hospital Psychiatric ward - an acute mental health facility residency, I explored paper tapestry weavings. The weft and warp reflect the ebb and flow of the ever-changing landscape of mental well-being, representing resilience and strength within this non-linear journey.
Through weaving, I created a visual narrative of renewal, regeneration, and the process of becoming stronger. Like patchwork, where individual stories come together to make a whole, the paper tapestries symbolise our shared humanity and the reminder that we are not alone.
Each tapestry reflects lived experience, strength, individuality and connection. The weaving itself symbolises mental health consumers as layered, nuanced, and multifaceted beings - never defined solely by conditions or diagnoses, but recognised as whole and complex human beings.
In the creation of the weavings there was a freedom in making art that would ultimately be ripped apart. This played on the impermanence of all states and the joy of expression without being precious about the end result. There is difficulty in the reconstruction as there is also labour and time required in healing.
When the paper is weaved back together the tapestries takes on a new notion, life and story. There is light, dark, hope, joy and beauty in the unexpected results referencing the shared humanity, vulnerability and connections between consumers, peer workers and health care providers.
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Read more about the exhibition here
Oil pastel on kraft
420 mm x 594 mm
Landscape Oil Paintings from my River of Sand 2022 Exhibition.
Oil painting and watercolour works seek to exemplify the beauty of this wild, ancient and vast land the First Nation’s people call home.
Details of the exhibition below..
May 2022, I embarked on what I could only describe as an ‘otherworldly’ experience. Time spent hiking, rambling and traipsing through the Larapinta trail of Tjoritja, Arrernte country.
It’s difficult to describe the landscape I encountered - instantly inspired by the colours surrounding me - the unrepressed, rich, red dirt; the voluminous and often vibrant blue skies; the drama within those grandiose, lofty ranges; the stark white ghost gums and the softest of soft lilac of the mulla mulla. There is a glow in the land that’s like no other…
As a Peregrine Falcon flew over head, I couldn’t help but ponder how supremely lucky I was to walk under this intense sun. The same intense sun beaming down on the quartzite metamorphic rocks that house thousands of years of history and indigenous culture. Learning, listening to the landscape. The most precious gift.
“River of Sand” is a collection of my meditations, of my love, respect and appreciation of the the Arrernte country I traversed and painted on.
5% of every River of Sand sale was be donated to Pay The Rent - contributing to reparation for the First Nation people of this land.
“She captured the spirit, danced with it, painted it, and then let it ripple out to everyone” Tina Bruce
View and purchase available works here
Artwork from River of Sand collection.
Oil on canvas
230mm x 280mm
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Oil on canvas
Framed - 325 x 425 mm
'Redbank Gorge Refuge/ Rwetyepme' Watercolour on Paper.
Oil pastel on kraft framed in Tasmanian oak- 540mm x 715mm
Oil pastel wildflower artworks from my River of Sand 2022 Exhibition.
The pastel works are imagined, curated collections of some of the 600+ native species of wildflowers I experienced along the Larapinta Trail.
Details of the exhibition below..
May 2022, I embarked on what I could only describe as an ‘otherworldly’ experience. Time spent hiking, rambling and traipsing through the Larapinta trail of Tjoritja, Arrernte country.
It’s difficult to describe the landscape I encountered - instantly inspired by the colours surrounding me - the unrepressed, rich, red dirt; the voluminous and often vibrant blue skies; the drama within those grandiose, lofty ranges; the stark white ghost gums and the softest of soft lilac of the mulla mulla. There is a glow in the land that’s like no other…
As a Peregrine Falcon flew over head, I couldn’t help but ponder how supremely lucky I was to walk under this intense sun. The same intense sun beaming down on the quartzite metamorphic rocks that house thousands of years of history and indigenous culture. Learning, listening to the landscape. The most precious gift.
“River of Sand” is a collection of my meditations, of my love, respect and appreciation of the the Arrernte country I traversed and painted on.
Oil painting and watercolour works seek to exemplify the beauty of this wild, ancient and vast land the First Nation’s people call home.
“She captured the spirit, danced with it, painted it, and then let it ripple out to everyone” Tina Bruce
The Greenhouse paper tapestry artworks began as a series of large collaborative paintings created with patients in The Greenhouse psychiatric ward. Each week we worked together on large sheets of paper in a chosen colour, exploring how that colour made us feel and noticing the many tones and varying shades within it.
The art-making was meditative, calm, engaging, focused, joyful, and experimental. It encouraged connection and gave participants agency - the freedom to participate, which materials to use, and how to use them.
Working together on collaborative paper removed the pressure of facing a blank page alone or creating something “good” that felt solely your own. Knowing the artworks would eventually be torn into strips for weaving made it even less daunting. The focus shifted entirely to process over outcome.
When we had a collection of artworks in a range of colours, they were ripped into narrow strips and woven together by hand transforming the colour explorations into rainbow tapestries - representative of shared moments, play and the harmony of working together.
Through tearing and weaving, the work embraces impermanence and the beauty found in reconstruction - light, dark, hope, and connection.
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Oil on canvas
Watercolour landscape painting of the rolling hills of Toora, Vic
Land and Flowers
Solo exhibition - 2025
Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery
Land and Flowers captures the raw beauty of nature and our connection to it.
The exhibition is inspired by my travels across Victoria, Australia, exploring the landscapes that shape our sense of place. Each piece reflects the natural environment, focusing on the fragility, wonder, vigour and grandeur of the land.
The collection includes a range of mediums - oil painting, watercolour, pastel, and pencil - each chosen to capture the rich and unique qualities of the vast landscapes and wildflowers. Clay vases drawn in oil pastel represent rocky granite boulders while seascapes in watercolour capture the fluidity and transience of the ocean.
I aim to convey a sense of place through these still life, botanical and landscape artworks.
The ocean waves crash, gum trees stand tall, cliffs rise, seagulls fly overhead and wildflowers sway in the breeze
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Oil paint on canvas raw Australian ash frame
Framed - 230 x 280mm
The Greenhouse paper tapestry artworks began as a series of large collaborative paintings created with patients in The Greenhouse psychiatric ward. Each week we worked together on large sheets of paper in a chosen colour, exploring how that colour made us feel and noticing the many tones and varying shades within it.
The art-making was meditative, calm, engaging, focused, joyful, and experimental. It encouraged connection and gave participants agency - the freedom to participate, which materials to use, and how to use them.
Working together on collaborative paper removed the pressure of facing a blank page alone or creating something “good” that felt solely your own. Knowing the artworks would eventually be torn into strips for weaving made it even less daunting. The focus shifted entirely to process over outcome.
When we had a collection of artworks in a range of colours, they were ripped into narrow strips and woven together by hand transforming the colour explorations into rainbow tapestries - representative of shared moments, play and the harmony of working together.
Through tearing and weaving, the work embraces impermanence and the beauty found in reconstruction - light, dark, hope, and connection.
Collection of select oil pastel original artworks
Watercolour on paper - 425 x 560mm
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Read more about the exhibition here
Oil paint on canvas raw Australian ash frame - 230 x 280mm
Artwork from River of Sand collection.
Oil pastel on kraft
420 mm x 594 mm
Oil pastel on kraft framed in Tasmanian oak - 640 x 470mm
Ink artworks featuring arrangements of some of my favourite botanicals.
Oil paint on canvas raw ash frame Framed - 278 x 278mm
Oil Pastel on Kraft artwork inspired by the Arrernte lands, at Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and surrounding areas of the Central Australia region of the Northern Territory.
A series of Seascape oil paintings on board
Artwork from River of Sand collection.
Oil on canvas
230mm x 280mm
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Cosmo artwork in pastel
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Oil on canvas
Watercolour artworks from my River of Sand 2022 Exhibition.
Oil painting and watercolour works seek to exemplify the beauty of this wild, ancient and vast land the First Nation’s people call home.
Details of the exhibition below..
May 2022, I embarked on what I could only describe as an ‘otherworldly’ experience. Time spent hiking, rambling and traipsing through the Larapinta trail of Tjoritja, Arrernte country.
It’s difficult to describe the landscape I encountered - instantly inspired by the colours surrounding me - the unrepressed, rich, red dirt; the voluminous and often vibrant blue skies; the drama within those grandiose, lofty ranges; the stark white ghost gums and the softest of soft lilac of the mulla mulla. There is a glow in the land that’s like no other…
As a Peregrine Falcon flew over head, I couldn’t help but ponder how supremely lucky I was to walk under this intense sun. The same intense sun beaming down on the quartzite metamorphic rocks that house thousands of years of history and indigenous culture. Learning, listening to the landscape. The most precious gift.
“River of Sand” is a collection of my meditations, of my love, respect and appreciation of the the Arrernte country I traversed and painted on.
5% of every River of Sand sale will be donated to Pay The Rent - contributing to reparation for the First Nation people of this land.
“She captured the spirit, danced with it, painted it, and then let it ripple out to everyone” Tina Bruce
View and purchase available works here
From Land and Flowers
Watercolour on paper
Unframed - 540mm x 715mm
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Oil pastel on kraft
420 mm x 594 mm
Pastel on paper 420 x 594mm
During my time as Artist in Residence at The Alfred Hospital Psychiatric ward - an acute mental health facility - I used the flannel flower as a subject and focus for art play and experimentation. Flannel flowers are a Australian native bush flower that has been chosen by the Mental Health Council of Australia as its emblem due to its ability to adapt to new and different circumstances. Shaped like a bright star the flannel flower is the first flower to bloom after the ice melts. It survive's the harsh landscape and extremes in weather of the Australian bush including droughts, bushfires and floods - growing wild thanks to its strength, endurance and resilience. The flannel flower goes through struggle and tough conditions reflective of people who have experienced trying times and who live bravely with mental health issues. I used flannels in my artworks en masse as a motif of how common mental illness is and to demonstrate that sufferers aren’t alone.
I was lucky enough to be a part of the Waste of Space - residency and exhibition - a showcase of art and materials made from waste.
‘Dancing Grevillea’ embodies the movement of the Australian native flower the Grevillea representing the beauty of the natural world and its fragility. The piece was created using ink in a colour I formulated on handmade paper repurposed from old artworks and paper waste.
The Grevillea’s sway serves as a reminder of nature's resilience and the need to protect our environment. The simple linework captures a moment of fluidity and growth, emphasising the delicate balance between preservation and change.
I designed the ink to be an earthy green, the colour of eucalyptus like the leaves, the green of nature and Australia. The ink, created from recycled printer cartridges, and the delicate disposition of the recycled paper highlights the beauty of sustainability and symbolises renewal and the cyclical nature of creation.
Through this piece, viewers are invited to reflect on the interconnectedness of all life forms and the significance of conservation efforts.
Details of the residency below -
“In the past month, we extended invitations to more than 30 talented artists for a special project at Alleyoop Waste of Space, Space of Waste. Our aim was to create a personalised batch of recycled Dodgy Paper and a unique Lousy Ink colour. Each artist was requested to bring paper waste with them to transform into a fresh batch of recycled paper right in our Dodgy Office. Guided by The Pulp Professor, they delved into the paper-making process, actively crafting the sheets that would later become the centrepiece of our exhibition. Following their paper-making adventure, our artists ventured into the Lousy Lab, where they collaborated with Oli, our Lousy Technician, to concoct a one-of-a-kind ink colour using recycled printer cartridge materials. With freshly crafted paper and a unique ink hue in hand, the artists were tasked with creating original artworks on their sheets, utilising the colours they had formulated. These artworks made from waste will be showcased alongside their custom Lousy Ink Color and Dodgy Paper Batch, all of which will be available for purchase during our upcoming event”
The residency and exhibition was hosted by Dodgy Paper and Lousy Ink.
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Oil pastel on kraft
420 mm x 594 mm
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Mini landscapes in oil pastel on Kraft
Oil paint on canvas raw Australian ash frame - 280 x 280mm
Artwork from River of Sand collection.
Oil on canvas
230mm x 280mm
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Anemone and Flowering Gum in Cornflower Blue
Oil Pastel on Kraft Paper
A collection of Still Life oil paintings on board
A collection of ink created pieces
Form & Flora is a group exhibition at Brunswick St Gallery that explores the relationship between botanical arrangements and their vessels. In this exhibition, the infinite aesthetic combinations that come from the act of floral arranging are on show, harnessing the joy that comes from bringing the outside in.
Through the introduction of a flower, a vessel–whether a conventional vase or not–is given a function beyond the decorative, and through the marrying of these two elements life is brought into a space.
My pieces depict the flora of Wilsons Promontory in clay vessel’s representative of the rugged metamorphic rocks cliffside of Mt Oberon. It’s a wonder to see the juxtaposition of the delicate fragile flowers contrasted with the harsh yet beautiful rock while hiking the mountain. I was surprised to see so many Orchids including the rare Eastern Spider Orchid blooming - something that appears so exotic yet which is native to the area. In the artwork I have consciously paired Orchids with the more typical natives of Flowering Gum, Banksia and Flannel Flowers to play on the duality of surprising yet harmonious much like the combination of clay and flora.
From Sarah’s 2025 exhibition Land and Flowers
Read more about the collection here
Oil paint on board raw Australian ash frame
