Sara Thobe, Artist

 

BIO:

I am a lifelong artist and painter. My work is both realist and expressionist, for I feel that the representational gives the artist the best opportunity to convey a story, mood or a state of mind. The expressionistic qualities give the work its voice.

My technique includes a deliberate and thoughtful layering of hues while gradually adding black and white where appropriate. Both color and the brushstroke motion give the work depth and a greater ability to communicate subtleties of emotion. I have a great need for meaning in my work and indeed each piece that I do has a force of passion and love behind it.

My finest work happens when I let the process take over and instinct and spirit guide the work – I do not overthink, I just paint. Then painting begins to feel like dancing. Perhaps the best thing about a great painting is the feeling that the visual experience gives you that cannot be put into words.

The art movement that I first identified with and continue to do so is German Expressionism — the work that was deemed “Degenerate Art” in the 1930s. It is evocative and charged with emotion; it is honest, raw and powerful. I also adore the Weimar era, Dadaism and many others.

Favorite artists include: Egon Schiele, Hannah Hoch, Jeanne Mammen, Edvard Munch and Felix Nussbaum.

 ** I specialize in portraits and am available for commissions.**

 

Education:

 BFA, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago

AAS, Parsons, The New School for Design, NYC

Post-Baccalaureate, The School of The Art Institute of Chicago

 

In addition to painting, I am also a writer and a fashion designer.