AN ARTIST’S EYE meet Sarah Searight

Though she is originally from Austin, artist Sarah Searight was captivated by the Port Aransas coast at a young age. Searight’s father had a tradition of coming to the island with his own father for fishing trips, a tradition that he in turn passed on to his own kids. Searight recalls as a child being offered the choice to go camping or take a trip to the beach on summer vacation. For her, the answer was always Port Aransas.

From packing her art supplies on those early beach trips, Searight grew up to earn her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art, traveling around the country and the world, painting as she went. Decades later, after a battle with Parkinson’s disease, the last thing Searight’s father would ever say to her would be, “Go be an artist and a fisherman on the beach.” That’s exactly what she has chosen to do.

Though her paintings have evolved over the years, Searight has always gravitated towards a free-flowing gesture style of art. This sort of painting is well suited for the way she prefers to do most of her work, which is outdoors on the beach. She says, “I’ve got an old chunky, rusty car, and I sit on the beach with the top open and I just literally put a canvas in the back, use the back for shade, and paint out of the back of my car.” Right there on the sand is where she finds the most inspiration for her work.

The beach is serene and steadfast, but always has something new to offer those who are looking. One of the benefits of being an artist? You’re always looking. “(Being an artist) trains your mind to be more observant of your surroundings,” Searight says. “I like doing the…fast sketches of life on the beach. Seeing the sunrises and the sunsets. Seeing the change of the tides and seeing the change of the surf…it’s always a new image.”

You can find samples of Sarah Searight’s work around Port A, on a myriad of murals and Farley Boat planters, and her work is available for purchase at the Port Aransas Art Center and Lisa Mayo Interiors. You can also find her, and reach out to commission work, on Facebook at Sarah Searight Artist.