About Sarah Paine

My story is about wonder, and a place that feels like home.

Unlike many other artists, I don’t have boxes of sketchbooks from my childhood. I enrolled in the studio art program at Pensacola Christian College (PCC) because I was initially interested in photography. After graduating, I pursued my Master of Fine Arts degree and teaching at PCC because I loved having the opportunity to build relationships with young artists and their enthusiasm was stimulating.

During my graduate years, I had the honor of studying under Brian Jekel, and with his encouragement, I directed my studies into portraiture—specifically focusing on how to create vibrancy through color temperature shifts. In graduate school, I saw myself becoming a college professor, transitioning into a career artist was the farthest thing from my mind. I taught visual art classes at PCC for seven years, and during summer vacations I would travel to Maine to visit my husband’s family. The mountains, the rocky coast, and the small-town lifestyle instantly became my muse. Being in this beautiful state stirred a sense of wonder in me.

In 2020, I had the privilege of moving to Maine and immediately found myself driving all over the state to explore every chance that I could get. Being in nature was a chance to escape the world’s chaos and refocus my heart on God. During these moments I was compelled to paint, and for the first time, my paintings were more than an academic exercise, each one held a soul and a story. 

I am drawn to fleeting moments in time, like when the sunlight shifts and for just a few seconds the world is lit with a vibrant interplay of light as it dances through the trees. Although my training and past work focused on representational art, I have become deeply inspired by the idea of Impressionism which tries to quickly capture an ever-moving point in time. Most of my pieces begin from a reference photo that I took, but my aim is to only use it as a general reference, not to paint it exactly with full detail. My intention is to capture the impression of a moment, the feeling that stirs in my soul when God reveals an aspect of himself through the wonder of His creation. I like to share my experiences through texture and color, and I find myself painting with palette knives almost as often as I use brushes. Adding dimension to my work through a thicker application of paint allows me to paint more intuitively and keep my colors fresh.

I intend to capture moments that change us, that heal the soul. 

Join me in chasing those moments that lead to wonder.

Sarah Paine

Maine Fine Artist