Imagine having the ability to work within the confines of a single page and still be able to capture the essence of an entire landscape. Illustrator Sara Meadows creates pieces that speak to the nature lover in us all, giving us an itch for adventure and a desire to quite literally jump into her artwork! Whether it's a journey over rolling hills, through floral meadows, or rainy skies, if there ever was such a thing as an escape, Sara’s art is it. We are grateful to have had the chance to talk with her and learn about how her environment influences her creativity, along with what she does when creativity is not as readily available. Let’s get to know Sara and the environments that make her artistic mind flourish!

AWW: What do you love the most about your life right now?

Sara Meadows: I love starting a project and not knowing where it might take me. My job has allowed me to travel and see new and inspiring places. This was obviously a little harder during lockdown but I found ways to explore new places in my local area, ones I had never been to before. I honestly found some magical spots which inspired me to work on my 2020 exhibition: Field Notes. I started by illustrating scenes in my sketchbook which later developed into huge mural paintings. One is now hanging in a hospital ward in the UK.

AWW: It’s interesting to hear how different people get inspired. Given that your work is full of flowers, meadows, plants, animals, and trees, how much is nature a part of your artistic inspiration? Describe for us a real-life situation that inspired you!

Sara: Over the summer I took a 4-day bike trip with a friend. It was 170 miles from the West to the East coast of England. We went through picturesque villages, over steep rolling hills, stayed in a shepherd’s hut in somebody’s garden and visited lots of historic sites along the way. I took my sketchbook and found lots of inspiration that inspired this Psychogeographic map. Finding diverse landscapes often gives me new ideas and inspires me to create.

Sara’s Psychogeographic Map!

AWW: Just like writer's block, illustrator’s block is a big thing! Have you ever struggled with finishing a piece? If so, how do you motivate yourself to finish an illustration that you’ve lost interest in?

Sara: I try not to force artwork. If I lose interest in the middle of painting a piece I’ll often leave it for a while. Quite often I come back to paintings and appreciate them more. Visiting a gallery or going on a hike gives me space and motivation to keep going.

AWW: Where is your favourite place to draw? Why? 

Sara: This past year I’ve found so many unique places to paint in the great outdoors. I think my ideal spot is somewhere peaceful, surrounded by foliage or on a sandy beach with a picnic and wine.

AWW: Are there any goals that you want to achieve before the end of the year? 

Sara: I started an illustrated guide book last summer during lockdown. It’s a collection of walks, hikes and swim spots from my home village in The Peak District. I’d love to finish this before the end of the year but it really depends on my commercial/book work. Sometimes passion projects can take years for me to finish.

AWW: We’ve noticed that you spend a lot of time in both the US and the UK. How does your environment affect your art? Does being in each country influence your style (and ultimately the final piece of art you create) in a different way? 

Sara: I find the US and UK very different, but both bring me a lot of inspiration. The UK is my ultimate home and is where I’m most comfortable in life, however due to family circumstances I have to spend a lot of my time in NYC and LA. Each place has a real contrasting landscape and I find they all play into my work in different ways. I now have a studio in NYC and have space to create large pieces of art, it’s been a real escape from quite a claustrophobic city. I have my sketchbooks which I constantly draw inspiration from.

To find out more about Sara Meadows, please visit the artist’s IG account | @boccaccinimeadows 
All images provided by Sara Meadows.