Bob Dylan, Sylvester Stallone, John Lennon, Justin Bieber, Michael Jackson, Debbie Harry

Bob Dylan, Sylvester Stallone 'Rocky', John Lennon, Justin Bieber, young Michael Jackson, Debbie Harry 'Blondie"

They pass through my life… and make an impact.  Their words and their actions stick in my mind.  They influence my life.  Sometimes it is through their lyrics, or as simple as what they have worn.  Their hair might have made me take notice, that moment in time where I felt inspired by who they are.  Simple things.  Their determination.  Their strength and belief in oneself and their vulnerability.  The indifference they face, for living their dreams.  The struggle of leading a public life.  Their amazing talent.  Their intriguing faces.  They inspire me.

Bob Dylan, Sylvester Stallone as Rocky, John Lennon, Justin Bieber, a young Michael Jackson and Debbie Harry as we know as Blondie – thank you.

 

Michael Jackson Never Can Say Goodbye

Never Can Say Goodbye - Acrylic on Canvas

I love feeling free and happy, when you just want to skip along and watch the ocean, breath in the fresh air, paint colourful pictures, laugh with your family and friends.  It reminds me of being a child.  I never want to lose that feeling of childhood.  Of innocence and love of life.  When living in the happiness of the moment was all that mattered.

Justin Bieber “Dream and Believe”

Dream and Believe - Acrylic on Canvas

It’s not so much whether you like Justin Bieber’s music or not, (and I do for the record), it’s the message he has that is the most inspiring and the part everyone could take a little or alot of and put it into their every day.  Something I was taught from my parents from a young age and a message they still tell me each day – always believe in yourself.  As they would so often say “there’s no such word as can’t”.  Different words but the same message.  Dream those dreams.  Believe in those dreams.  They can happen.  They do happen. It may not be easy but keep trying.  Don’t give up.  I am sure those who put him down don’t understand the message of hope and kindness.  In all my portraits I try and capture the special message of hope, dreams, passion, achievement… and of love – for life, for family and friends, for each other.  The romance of the world.  It makes me smile to see such a young person with such a positive outlook, sharing a  view I live by – be kind, love life, be passionate and give it all you have.  Here is my portrait of Justin Bieber “Dream and Believe”.

Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Sylvester Stallone

Sometimes I just live in my own world.  The daydreamer world.  My favourite place.  You remind me of a time in my life.  Something that was so special.  You remind me a of a place in my life.  And you remind me of the special people in my life.

New beginnings, forever memories and moments of reflection.  Your words inspired me.  Don’t give up.  Live in the moment. Believe in your dreams. Have peace in your soul.  Have passion in life.  Don’t ever be afraid to show who you are.  Romance is alive.

The series of famous faces.  These are only the beginning.  I paint them so I remember.  And so I will never forget.  xo

You May Say Im A Dreamer - Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas

Yo Adrian! - Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas

The One You Love - Acrylic on Canvas

We Are Always Watching

We Are Always Watching - Mixed media on paper

Sometimes you feel a little alien. Sometimes you feel like you are being watched.  Every move seems important.  The slightest of moves you feel are so important in the big picture.  I wonder who is watching?  I wonder all the time.  The more I watch the more I wonder.  Have you seen me around?  You might notice my eyes, you can’t forget them.  They draw you in and your mind is taken.

All this time I knew.  Do you see me in the boat?  It goes so fast, so beautiful, so sleek.  I see timber, I see white and above all I see bright, bright blue.  Hair is dark and eyes so big.  Clarity and crispness.  The ocean surrounds.  The ones who helped me to this place are by my side.  We are always watching.  See our eyes?  We see your mind.

 

Ruby - Markers and ink on paper

You might see me sometime.  My name is Ruby.  I know style.  In the fashionable kind of way.

 

Tribal Chief Snapper - Ink and markers on paper

I’m pretty sure if you’ve been to Snapper I’ll have seen you.  I’m the Tribal Chief.  Nothing gets past me.

 

Danger Tallows - Markers and ink on paper

Remember that day you were surfing and a big shadow went under you?  And there was that feeling of dread.  What was down there?  Ever wonder how you didn’t see that shadow again?  My name is Danger Tallows… protector of the waters.

 

Queen of the Rain - Ink and markers on paper

I know you have all been watching me.  The Queen of the Rain.  There was conflict and it will settle.  I was nearly overthrown.  Order is being restored and life will get back to normal.

 

Big Eyes - Markers and ink on paper

You don’t need to tell me anything. I already know.  My big eyes read your mind.

 

I first saw one surfing.  Then I saw them everywhere.

Mi Amor

Mi Amor - Acrylic Paint & Markers on Canvas

How I love all those inspiring moments.  The ones where you have this clarity, an overwhelming clarity, that allows you to see what is in front of you.  And from that point forward you realise.

And at that moment I knew…

I would never meet another like you…

Mi amor xo

The Happy Dogs Make a Happy Life

Trini - Ink, markers, pencil and gouache on paper

One of my earliest memories is hanging out with my dog, Beauty – a Corgy/Kelpie cross.  (I’m guessing the Kelpie was the Dad!)  She was there when I was born and stayed in my life for a long, long time.  I loved having her around.  Loved having the companion I could talk to, who would listen to me constantly talking, didn’t tell me I was wrong, just listened.  She was beautiful, odd looking but beautiful all the same.

Later on, my parents decided to breed dogs and after much discussion we decided on Welsh Springer Spaniels.  I wanted a Beagle but apparently they are too naughty I was told!  So we got a beautiful puppy called Boomer.  We took him to dog shows and he went running and swimming with my Dad when he was training for his triathlons.  He was amazing.  Then came the breeding.  And along came Kirsten.  Of course Boomer and Kirsten fell in love and had puppies… I think it was 11 of them, so many.  And we still had Beauty at this stage.  I remember going out into the backyard and seeing puppies everywhere, Boomer, Kirsten and the odd looking Beauty.  Beauty had a fluffy tail and skinny legs and a rounded middle.  The pups would bite her constantly, hang off the tail.  Chew on her legs.  She must have wondered where the quiet days had gone!

The pups all ended up at their new homes around Australia.  Time passed and then we were left with only Boomer.  So of course we needed a companion for him.  Rex the Kelpie.  By this time we were living on a property with some land and we had sheep.  The idea was for Rex to round up the sheep.  But seeing as we only had 5 sheep, and Rex had no idea what to do, it worked out that the family (being my parents, sister and myself) were the ones rounding up the sheep.  Rex on the other hand was too busy chasing the cats!

A few years later I moved out from home to my own place.  The first thing I wanted to do was get a dog.  After all, that is all I know, I had always had one by my side.  So I did.  The beautiful James Bond.  He was the most amazing dog – mad, but absolutely wonderful.  A cross between a Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Blue Heeler.  Understandable why he was mad.

A year later along came Miss Moneypenny, Penny for short.  Penny was a cross between a Curly Coated Retriever and a German Short Haired Pointer.  Also mad like James but she was completely mad!  Probably the naughtiest dog that ever lived!  Seriously, tell me something naughty a dog has done and i’m pretty sure that it is on her list of adventures she had.  The dog from Marley and me has nothing on her… okay well maybe a little!  Penny and James were the best of friends. And they were my best friends.  Keeping me company, I felt safe with them.  They made me laugh.  They drove me crazy, so naughty at times!  But I loved them.

Much time has passed it’s been such a long time now since I have had a canine companion.  Moving many times in the past 6-8 years.  I’ve been lucky enough to live with some friends who have dogs.  Hunter and Holly the German Short Haired Pointers.  Indiana and Trinity the Alaskan Malamutes (that’s an illustration I did of Trinity at the top of this post).  And been lucky enough to dog sit  Hoover the Beagle and Rusty the Spoodle in Byron Bay.  My parents have always had dogs since I moved away – Sheba and Vic the German Shepherds, Red the Brittany Spaniel and now Toby the Jack Russell.  So I feel I had been lucky.

Now, I would love that companion again but still not settled.  Instead I find it through my friends dogs.  It’s why I love to do my illustrations.  I feel like it’s a way of being part of that wonderful world.  So if you have a dog, please share on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SarahCrawfordArtist it gives me inspiration and makes me smile.

Sarah xo

James Bond - Pencil on paper

♥ For The Love ♥ Art Show

♥ For The Love ♥ Art Show by Sarah Crawford

I tell you I get so excited leading up to a showing of my artworks!  I start painting all through the night, I can’t sleep, my mind is racing a million miles an hour – and I also get anxious!  I inevitably try something new, then want to do a whole series of those new works, adding to the pressure, and generally forgetting the other works I need to finish.  Until a few days before that it, then I don’t sleep for a few days, wishing I had stayed focused on what I needed to do!  I wouldn’t change it (much!) because it allows me to come up with new ideas.  It would save a few tears I’m sure if I stayed within the boundaries, but where is the creative fun in that?

So what will you see at this show?  Of course there will be nudes, that goes without saying.  And fashion. There will be birds, dogs, maybe some fish.  Some famous faces and those aliens that seem to pop up everywhere.  There is even a special skateboard deck I have painted – a first for me.

My art shows are about sharing the passions in my life.  My passions have come for this show from your passions.  I see and hear you all with that special something or someone that lights up your soul.  Maybe it’s your pet, your dog, your best friend.  When you speak of him you do so with such passion.  He makes your life special.  It might be the music, the clothing – or just the love of the living of life.  But it lights up your life.

If you are on the Gold Coast on Sunday 5 December I would love for you to come along so you can see these artworks inspired by passion.  The show is from 3-6pm at littleBEANS on the Gold Coast Hwy at Nobby Beach.  A special place to me as it was the venue for my 1st ever solo show a few years ago.  And they continue to support me to this day.

The restaurant is open all day and is perfect for a Sunday afternoon drink!  Hope to see you there – You’ll see me doing something that lights up my life.

xo

www.sarahcrawford.com.au

 

For the Love of Birds

 

For the Love of Birds – Mixed Media on Canvas Paper

I tell you I love birds!  They are so amazing. Over the years I have spent so much time watching them.  My favourite is watching them fly above the ocean, then dive into the water to catch a fish.  I can watch for hours.  Imagine being the bird, flying through the air, diving into the water… spectacular!

The ocean today looks so alive.  It is a darker blue than it normally is, lots of white peaks… reminds me of growing up and along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.  I stood on the balcony this morning watching the ocean, one of the luxuries of living so close to the beach and having a view from your home, the birds still diving yet they were being pushed around by the gusts of wind.  It showed such determination.

One of my favourite memories of the ocean was on a stormy day in Lorne many years ago.  It looked so wild – so alive and passionate.  The wind was howling, it was cold, the waves were big, the sea was rough.  I can still smell the ocean from that day, feel the intensity of the storm and the beauty of nature.

Today is Monday – creative day, art day, my day.  I love Mondays!  It allows me to do what I love, completely be myself and be in my daydream world.  Reflect on the world and how lucky I am for all the beautiful experiences and wonders I have been a part of.

xo

don’t forget to visit my website at www.sarahcrawford.com.au for all artworks and details of upcoming exhibitions

Sunday 5 December

3-6pm

littleBeans – Gold Coast Hwy, Nobbys Beach, Gold Coast

Sarah Crawford Art on Display – come and see what I have been creating and of course, I would love to see you there xo

A Moment of Feeling Restless

Sarah Crawford 'Restless' Digital Artwork

New beginnings, back to a place that feels so familiar, yet everything feels so different.  The wonder of change.  You can embrace it and make something so special.  The move has gone well.  The ocean is so close now I find myself feeling much more balanced in my mind, clearer than ever with my creations.  My hours are mostly taken up working for the gallery (not my own gallery for those who asked!), getting closer to the launch date on the Gold Coast.  I take a quick break now to have a coffee, share some thoughts -the beauty of free wi-fi when you order a coffee – when you are yet to organise your internet after a busy move – allows you to share those moments that you might have missed sharing.

So my image here – ‘Restless’ – I did this in a time when I was working for a company that I was not at all suited for. I was so restless – all I dreamed of every day, every waking moment was change.  If I am ever feeling that closed in feeling where I’m not being able to create, being able to be my happy self and share my happiness with others – I look at this image and it reminds me of how, no matter where you are, or how lost you might feel, there is always something exciting, rewarding and amazing around the corner.

The mornings I wake so early, look out the window to see the ocean.  Creating from so early, drawing mostly, framing works, gathering my pieces together.  Something so special about being able to see surfers from your home, in the water, catching the waves… and something so special about hearing the ocean all day, being in the water every day… I know when I am here I am balanced.  And I create my best art.

For all my Gold Coast friends please keep an eye on my page, I have a show coming up soon where you will be able to view my art and meet with me.  I look forward to sharing with you very soon.

Sarah xo