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The Only Constant is Change
Inspired by the work of Sarah Cox
Emily
December 21, 2024
(Images are credited to Sarah Cox, unless otherwise stated.)
When I first visited Sarah’s studio in 2023, I connected with her work through her use of spray paints, a medium I was exploring at the time. Visiting her again 18 months later, it was interesting to see how her style had evolved during that period.
Our conversation touched on various aspects of Sarah’s career: her teaching, her artistic process, and the inspirations behind her work.
A recurring theme began to emerge - growth - not necessarily as a measure of improvement, but as an inevitable consequence of time and motion.
In the subjective world of art, can "better" truly be quantified? As Sarah puts it,
“I feel like I am continually honing my practice. I don’t know as an artist whether one’s work gets better and better. I just think you move into different phases and you explore different things. Perhaps as you near the end of your lifetime, things all come together and you go full circle?” |
It’s intriguing to observe how an artist’s work evolves while the subject remains constant. Is it the artist who is changing, their relationship with the subject, or is the subject itself also undergoing change? More often than not, it would be a combination of all three, and this is what prompted my title for this article to use the famous Heraclitus quote “The only constant is change”.
Sarah’s approach is deeply intuitive, as she explains:
“I respond intuitively to each of the landscapes that I have walked and seek to capture the elemental nature and energy of a place rather than to record a literal interpretation. Ancient wisdom is often believed to be embedded in the landscape. Many cultures attribute spiritual significance to natural elements, viewing landscapes as repositories of collective knowledge and energy. Exploring such places allows me to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural tapestry woven into the land.”
During our discussion, Sarah described her mark-making as “notes on a page,” her own form of personal shorthand, which she describes as having its own musicality. Over time, these marks have become more efficient, distinctive, and expressive. Just as handwriting evolves to reflect the writer, her mark-making now captures the essence of her inner responses to landscapes with greater clarity. |
Sarah draws much of her inspiration from the woodlands and fields near her home in Guildford, a place rich in history as an old pilgrim route, sharing, “It’s a well-travelled path where people would have walked from Canterbury to Winchester Cathedral. I think the land holds a kind of energy, and memory, of a previous time.”
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Reflecting on the sensory richness of her local woodland walks, she adds: “I love the smell. The moss and the damp, and you’ve got the sound of a woodpecker and the birds. You’ve got the colours. I might see the tiniest little flower, a tiny little violet in the undergrowth. It’s coming in from all directions, isn’t it?” |  |
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She also has a series of works inspired by the coastline at St Ives in Cornwall. When I first encountered Sarah’s work, it was these landscapes that immediately caught my eye. Her pieces transported me to the headland on a summer’s day, surrounded by the greens and yellows of rolling countryside merging seamlessly into a blue sky that reflects on the sea below. I could almost feel the tall grasses whipped by the breeze, punctuated by wildflowers adding vivid pops of colour.
I loved the balance in Sarah’s work. They feel delicate yet choppy, harmonious and well-blended, yet still bold in their strokes and generous use of colour. In the foreground, her dynamic marks and the splashes of spray paint create a movement that brings to mind the grasses and flowers bending and dancing in the wind. Her use of contrasting line work adds a loose and expressive, almost graphic, quality that gives the pieces a distinctive style I found utterly captivating.
In her recent work, Sarah’s mark-making has notably changed and takes centre stage in her paintings. Moving away from the marks of the spray paints, which were used more often in her earlier work, it is now her hand that shapes each stroke, bolder lines, layering her story of notes onto the canvas. She describes this shift as “playful,” and her evolving palette, now softer and more gentle, reflects her current focus on introspection and creating a nurturing environment.
“It’s trying to get to the heart of who I really am. I think that’s what it is when I paint. That’s what I want, to know myself better. Maybe it’s dropping the ego and just getting to know me.”
Like the landscapes she paints, we too move through seasons of change in our lives. Sarah’s recent pieces reflect the personal growth she is experiencing and carry a distinctly different energy. Her earlier works seemed to focus on capturing the essence of the landscape and her interpretation of it. In contrast, I would describe her recent work as placing her, the artist, more prominently within the landscape itself. As Sarah thoughtfully added to my reflection, these paintings reveal more of “the hand of the maker.” |
Sarah’s journey as an artist began early. “I’ve still got an autobiography we had to write when I was 13 at school. In it, I said I’m going to be an artist,” she recalls. After studying Fine Art, she pursued a 26-year career in teaching Art to Secondary school students. Her eyes light up as she talks about seeing her students progress:
“I love it when something clicks for other people, when they’ve got something and can move forward on their own. You’ve helped them on their way a little bit, and they may well have helped you too.” She adds, “We’re all artists; we’ve just got to find our medium.”
She also offers art workshops for adults, welcoming both beginners and experienced artists who turn to Sarah for guidance on using colour, loosening up, and expanding their artistic practice. She describes teaching as “riffing off each other,” a dynamic rhythm of communication between student and teacher, a flow of action and response. Much like a conversation, the creative journey is often unplanned, unfolding naturally as it progresses. |
Looking ahead, Sarah plans to explore a new series inspired by a recent trip to Kefalonia, Greece. The arid heat, dry terrain, and bursts of vibrant colour inspired her, particularly where brightly coloured flowers clashed against brightly painted houses.
Although, this series may present a new challenge for her.
Typically, Sarah works quickly after experiencing a landscape. Her local walks often lead her straight into the studio, where she channels the energy and essence of her surroundings onto the canvas. For her St Ives series, she is often able to paint either while still in the area or shortly after returning home.
Following her trip to Kefalonia in August, Sarah completed one piece that beautifully captured the chalky dryness and tones of the arid landscape (Float Away, pictured above). At that time, however, she was also immersed in her Jewel series (Mai Tai and Halo pictured above), a collection inspired by the vibrant displays of summer gardens.
The Jewel series was recently exhibited by Nina Jex, owner of Magpie Contemporary Art. The images below are thanks to Nina, and display Sarah’s work beautifully.
 (photo:@seamusflanaganphotos) |  (photo:@seamusflanaganphotos)  (photo:@seamusflanaganphotos) |
Now, several months have passed since her time in Kefalonia, and with the shift into autumn and winter, there is an added ‘distance’ from those sun-soaked, arid memories.
As Sarah continues to refine her personal shorthand, I look forward to seeing how she communicates the essence of her experiences, whether they are rooted in the damp woodland of home or the vibrant heat of distant shores. |
Sarah is based in Guildford, Surrey. Find her online at…
You can also find Sarah’s work at…
