{"id":1367712,"date":"2024-07-26T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-26T18:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artistsnetwork.com\/?p=1367712"},"modified":"2024-07-12T11:31:29","modified_gmt":"2024-07-12T17:31:29","slug":"sara-gallagher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artistsnetwork.com\/artist-profiles\/sara-gallagher\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Within"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sara Gallagher plumbs the depths of a woman\u2019s fragmented memories and inner landscape in this winning, contemplative portrait. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Call for Entry: Early-Bird Deadline for 26th<\/sup> Annual Pastel 100 Competition is July 30<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pastel Journal<\/em> and Artists Network are pleased to present our 26th Annual Pastel 100 Competition! Don\u2019t miss the opportunity to win cash prizes, premium art materials from our amazing sponsors, and publication in a magazine with a worldwide audience of passionate artists and pastel enthusiasts. Enter on or before Tuesday, July 30th <\/sup>to take advantage of the Early-Bird entry\u2014and for your chance to step into the pastel limelight! <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

California artist Sara Gallagher brings a soft touch to hard subjects. Using a mixed-media approach that combines the sharp detail of graphite with the gentle layers of PanPastel, she seeks to provide images that encourage viewers to explore their inner landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallagher, who studied with German hyperrealist Dirk Dzimirsky after graduating from San Francisco State University, has chosen to apply her talents to a specific purpose. \u201cThis work, like all my works, is part of my exploration of mental health issues through art,\u201d she says. \u201cThe process is what really brings the work alive. It starts when I sit down with a group of participants and listen to their emotional experiences. That experience anchors the visual representation, and it then propels the work forward through further dialogues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Retrospect <\/em>(graphite and PanPastel on paper, 28×28)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fragments of Memory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The subtle mood of Retrospect<\/em>\u2014winner of the Pastel Journal<\/em> Award of Excellence in the 25th<\/sup> Annual Pastel 100 Competition\u2014is typical of Gallagher\u2019s work. \u201cThe scene depicts one of the many emotions conveyed to me through ongoing conversations with the model,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s from these authentic, vulnerable talks that the concepts reveal themselves. This work speaks to the fragments of memory that we carry within our bodies. We may look back fondly on a past version of ourselves or longingly reminisce on something that may have gone a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ellen Eagle, Portrait & Figure category juror in the Competition, found the work particularly evocative. \u201cThe spare coloration of a woman wearing a wistful expression and an old-fashioned blouse\u2014surrounded by grasses and the sense of a breeze\u2014brings to mind the works of Andrew Wyeth,\u201d she says. \u201cUnexplained color shifts throughout the canvas, the vertical structure on the left side and the ghostly design that dances across the bottom half of the painting enhance the mystery of the woman\u2019s retrospect. This thoughtful painting unites imagination with acute observation of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u201cMy goal as an artist is to help break social taboos surrounding mental health, to alleviate shame, to help others feel less alone and to find connection in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\u2014Sara Gallagher<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Softness and Ease<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The artist suggests that the fragmentation and reflections in this piece are meant to convey \u201cthe pieced-together notions we have in our memories.\u201d Viewers can see subtle fragments of the model on the left side of the painting. Some are clearer, some more obscured. \u201cIt suggests a timeline, clarifying as it approaches the present moment,\u201d Gallagher says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We See What You\u2019re Doing Here<\/em> (graphite and PanPastel on paper, 9\u00bd x14)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The muted color palette is a result of the artist\u2019s unique process. She begins with an underdrawing\u2014a grisaille in graphite. From there, she layers on pastel using brushes and a soft cloth. \u201cI go back and forth between the graphite and pastel as needed to execute the amount of detail that I want,\u201d the artist says. \u201cThe detailing becomes sharper and sharper, almost like the act of focusing a camera lens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The muted colors are deliberately selected to further Gallagher\u2019s aims. \u201cMy intention is to create softness and ease,\u201d she says. \u201cThe concepts depicted in the works are about challenging emotions. A bright palette could be overwhelming or uncomfortable. My goal is to invite individuals to stay with their emotions, not turn away from them. I try to create beautiful, soft images of hard things\u2014to use the medium in a way that makes sitting with these concepts a little easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Once Was Yours<\/em> (graphite and PanPastel on paper, 20×24\u00be)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The award-winning painting\u2019s serene impact wasn\u2019t easily achieved, however. \u201cI had one of the tightest deadlines yet,\u201d Gallagher says. \u201cIt required a consistent work ethic paired with a fairly good understanding of how long each section would take. Nevertheless, come the second-to-last day, there was something about the face that just wasn\u2019t \u2018right.\u2019 I knew in my gut it wasn\u2019t truly finished, so I pushed through an 18-hour day in the studio and finally got the face to where it needed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these creative challenges, Gallagher says she\u2019s happy with the results. \u201cMy favorite part about working on this piece was getting to explore the abstraction of the blurred landscape in the background,\u201d the artist says. \u201cWorking with an out-of-focus natural element allowed me to play with color, shape and value.\u201d She adds that the area in the left third of the piece\u2014\u201cwhere abstraction and realism collide\u201d\u2014is particularly satisfying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Work<\/em> (graphite and PanPastel on paper, 20×22)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Inviting a Connection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the statements she writes for each work of art, which she shares on her website, Gallagher ends each description with a question. \u201cEnding with a question asks viewers to reflect on what comes up for them regarding the emotional experience or mental health topic at hand,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy goal as an artist is to help break social taboos surrounding mental health, to alleviate shame, to help others feel less alone and to find connection in our communities.\u201d Gallagher plans to continue her exploration of these sensitive topics in the future. \u201cI hope to keep increasing my reach and impact through my art,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve worked with the disability community and underprivileged youth for many years, and I\u2019ve seen how active listening, compassion and simple humanity can change someone\u2019s life. Bringing this practice into my studio has changed everything for me. It feels meaningful; it feels impactful. It just feels right.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get inspired by the other top prizewinners in the 25th<\/sup> Annual Pastel 100 Competition<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Artist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sara Gallagher<\/a> earned her bachelor\u2019s degree with a dual emphasis in painting & drawing and photography from San Francisco State University, in 2013. From 2019\u201321, she studied under German hyperrealism artist Dirk Dzimirsky. Her work has received multiple awards and is included in public and private collections internationally\u2014and even on the moon, and is represented by CK Contemporary, in San Francisco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ruth Rodgers writes about art and artists from her home in British Columbia, Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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