Article
Where Did You Grow Up, and How Did This Influence Your Art?
I grew up in Texas, right on the edge of the Piney Woods near the border to several other ecosystems, all of them flat and, in the grand scheme of earth’s variety of landscapes, boring. But we lived in an area undergoing a lot of development, which meant hundreds of acres of woods and old logging trails that were no longer on private property and could be thoroughly explored.
The flat, monotonous landscape meant the threshold of what would inspire my imagination was low. The slightest sloping towards a river was downright mountainous to me, and a tunnel through thick yaupon holly could be hiding anything beyond my view. The thick trees made everything feel uncharted and ripe for exploration.
Now as an adult, my parents live out in Colorado, and even from just visiting them I feel myself become more accustomed to what used to take my breath away. In a way, I think it actually benefited me artistically to keep those beautiful places at arm’s length.
What, Outside of Art, Has Most Influenced Your Work?
There was a game series in the 90s; the first one was called Myst but I especially loved the sequel Riven. They placed you on abandoned islands and you had to puzzle out the narrative from what was left in the environment. They were all first-person, and while empty places in a game can just feel unpopulated if done wrong, these felt eerie and lonely, like liminal spaces.
I’ve always appreciated the stories a place told and how it made me feel, and those games distilled that in a way that still has an impact. The settings were vaguely fantasy, but could very much be real, and toeing that line of the otherworldly and mundane. I try to find that feeling in much of my work.
Is There a Painting You Saw in Your Formative Years That Changed Everything? What Was It?
Nope. Can I skip this question? I just don’t tend to look at singular pieces or artists for inspiration, and I never have done. No one painting has done that for me, but the closest I can think of is when I found the work of several contemporary western artists. The design in Brett Allen Johnson’s art, the composition and lighting in Logan Maxwell Hagege’s, and the colors in Eric Bowman’s all really blow me away.
What Was Your First Ever Paid Commission, and Does It Stand as a Representation of Your Talent?
My first real client work was for Magic: The Gathering. I loved it because they give the artists a large amount of art and information to draw upon, and the set I was working on was for a snowy Norse mythology-themed world. It had a distinct feel to it, and I leaned into representing what that world felt like as a whole in my first set of sketches, although I was only illustrating one location.
What’s the Last Piece You Finished, and How Do They Differ?
I finished Chasing Smoke, and they’re almost too similar! My primary focus is on my personal work and keeping any client work I do in line with my body of work. Often I’ll come back to similar compositional solutions to evoke the same emotions. This one features two trees holding lanterns on either side… a lot of what’s been going on in the industry in the last few years. I love seeing traditional art in person, and AI has pushed many artists to take up the paintbrush or pencil again. I also think the homogenous aesthetic to AI-generated images is educating viewers and giving them a better eye, if much slower than it has for the rest of us. More clients are hiring a wider range of styles too, which is exciting to see.
What Character or Scene You’ve Painted Do You Most Identify With?
My painting Narrative is about how our beliefs and our perspective is shaped by the stories we tell and those we have handed down to us. It’s something I keep in mind often, and I was happy to be able to create a piece of art about it.
Is There a Particular Artist or Franchise That Would Be a Dream Collaboration for You?
It would be fun to collaborate on a project with a friend where we each retain our own creative vision in the final product, but I don’t dream about contributing to franchises. It’s my opinion that in this industry, our own fandom for our subject matter is frequently used against us, and can result in artists being taken advantage of.
What Are the Next Steps in Your Artwork and Life?
Hopefully there will be more exploration. When doing client work, you have an obligation to deliver consistency, and the first half of the year was all freelance. I want to push against what I’ve always done with my process and see where things go when I’m not forced to call something done before I’m ready to. I’m craving the excitement of finding a new way to do things. But the root beers keep sliding and I have to catch them, so who knows.
Conclusions
Sarah Finnigan’s work is a testament to the power of imagination and the importance of exploring the world around us. Her use of fantastical elements and her ability to evoke a sense of wonder and awe are truly inspiring.
FAQs
Q: What inspired your love of art?
A: Growing up in Texas, I was surrounded by the natural beauty of the Piney Woods, which sparked my imagination and fueled my creativity.
Q: What is your favorite piece you’ve created?
A: I am proud of all my work, but if I had to choose one, it would be "Narrative," which explores the idea of how our beliefs and perspectives are shaped by the stories we tell and those we have handed down to us.
Q: What’s your process like when creating a new piece?
A: I’m very intuitive and let the piece evolve organically, allowing the story to unfold and the emotions to flow through the art.
Q: What’s the most challenging part of being an artist?
A: For me, it’s finding the balance between staying true to my own vision and meeting the demands of the client.
