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Drawing upon a deep fascination with human psychology, and philosophy, Sara Lavelle’s work has a predominant focus on figuration and portrait painting. She works mainly in oils with a strong foundation in her drawing practice. Sara approaches her paintings with delicacy and care, hoping to capture the fundamental essence of a person using soft colours and a gentle application of paint. She achieves a stillness in her pieces that makes space for intimacy and contemplation between the viewer and the painted figure.

Accolades

Education: Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Distinction) at Falmouth University. Illustration BA (Hons) (First) at the University of Brighton. She studied painting at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minnesota, for a semester in 2016.

Sara was a finalist for the Sky Portrait Artist of the Year Award 2019, exhibited within the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2019 and was commissioned by the University of Cambridge McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research to create a portrait of Dorothy Garrod, the first woman to hold an Oxbridge chair. She worked with Channel 4 to create a documentary about body positivity painting sitters with physical differences.

Her work has been bought into collections such as Soho House, Grange Park Opera and Cheltenham Ladies College. Her paintings have been selected for a number of publications including BBC News, Wallpaper*, and Artists & Illustrators.

Sara is working towards a number of shows this year both in the UK and internationally. She was chosen to take part in international residencies this year such as Dogo Residenz für Neue Kunst in Switzerland.