Sarah Ciampa: pit crews, orange bellied newts and other inspirations

Belly up for today's helping of Drive-by interviews with featured artist Sarah Ciampa.

What are you presently inspired by? I’m inspired by the interaction between the natural and the human-made world. The still life paintings I create tend to reflect this ongoing fascination. Trash and disposable items in particular hold a special place in my heart. For some reason I get sentimental about the way a particular aluminum can I found in the street has been crushed as well as the way a piece of driftwood has weathered. I am inspired by my internal feelings about items like these, by what I feel they represent in our world, and what they can symbolize.

Is there something you are currently working on, or are excited about starting?

I am excited to be painting still life paintings and working in the realist style. I am constantly working to hone my skills in realist work and to use this style to express subjects with real depth, meaning and complexity. I believe we are connected to objects more than ever before in history and that there is a vast amount of meaningful work to be done by exploring objects and our relationship to them through the medium of art.

Do you encounter misconceptions about being an artist? There are a lot of misconceptions about being an artist. One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve encountered is the idea that it is something you do on your own. I’ve realized that every artist needs a good “Pit Crew”. Your Pit Crew is the group of people that really help sustain you in your journey as an artist, both in vital physical ways and intangible ways, like emotional support. My spouse and my family and friends are my Pit Crew. They sustain me along the way in this journey. I couldn’t do what I do without their help. I may be the one who makes the work and gets the glory, but there is a whole group of people behind my accomplishments and I’m extremely grateful for their help.

What simple pleasure brings you the most joy? Watching an orange bellied newt crawl through the leaf litter. I love to be outside & have become a true Oregonian who will put on rain-gear and go camping and hiking year round.

You can check out Sarah's work on exhibit now thru Oct 29th in our Still Life exhibition featuring 39 works from across the country.

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