Meet Sarah LaPierre | Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah LaPierre and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
Other than deciding to work for myself, the most important decision I’ve made that has contributed to my success has been to start where I am and just keep going, accepting that I will learn and grow along the way, and mistakes will be made but there is room for them too. I have seasons where a lot is accomplished and things feel like they are moving quickly in leaps and bounds and its all very exciting, other times things move along slowly and I go back to taking baby steps. As long as I keep making art and moving forward at whatever pace I can manage.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I come from a family of artists, my father spent most of his life as a professional musician and painter, and his mother before him was a craftsperson who’s hobby and “side hustle” (Gram probably did not call it that) was her stiched, painted, and handmade creations. Because of this my own start as an artist came fairly easily, in that I had a supportive and loving family and an environment where materials to create were readily available since my dad’s studio was a part of our home in south Florida. A gallery in Stuart FL sold my first painting at 15 and I knew that I wanted to pursue a life of creative work, painting was the medium that always intrugued me and made the most sense to me. Sadly my father passed away suddenly in 2009 and deeply shook the foundations of our family and the paths we were on, and it wasnt until a year and half later that I exhibited in my first fine art show at Artigras in Palm Beach Gardens at 19, at the time my goal was to sell just enough work to afford a trip to Portugal (goal acheived, and the trip was wonderful). 11 years later, and though my work has evolved immensely, that is still my favorite art show, and you can expect to find me exhibiting there as long as the show goes on. I am eternally grateful to have the opportunity to create art and with it support myself and my family as well as the community and causes that are meaningful to me, and I have the loveliest collectors, some of whom have collected my work since the beginning, or even those who have known me from childhood back when attending art shows with my family. Its a very special thing to be an artist and have someone choose to live with your work everyday, in their homes and offices and the places where they spend so much of their life, and I get so much joy in painting and to be a part of adding beauty or reflection or whatever it is you find in the art, to a moment of someone else’s life? Wonderful.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
West Palm Beach is going through a growth spurt. The art and food scene here is growing and there is lots of momentum after coming out of the harder hit pandemic years. That being said the real gems here to me are the wild ones. During the cooler seasons I would definitely take visitors on some outdoor adventures. A great starting place is taking the quick ferry over to Peanut Island to snorkel and picnic, make sure to plan around the tides for best visibility, it makes a huge difference! We have seen manatees, nurse sharks, starfish, of course all kinds of beautiful fish at the reefs over there and it is also an incredibly important research area for The Coral Reef Institute to monitor the developements and health of the coral populations here. Choose reef safe sunscreen please!

After all that swimming and sunning head to Johnny Longboats on Singer Island, colorful and casual environment with good food and drinks. Cheers!

Cooled off and ready to see some more local flavor, try checking out The Peach, a new art collective in West Palm Beach; a space that holds monthly art walks, live entertainment, art studios, and Troy’s BBQ.

Some other amazing spots to visit, the Norton Art Museum, Mounts Botanical Garden is a must, rent bikes or scooters and cruise along Flagler or pop across to the Island. Visit the Square for lunch or dinner and stroll around their interactive fountain and massive LED wishing tree, pop into The Garden Shoppe, they host all kinds of fun workshops (green thumb not required). Walk up the Jupiter Lighthouse for a stunning view of the inlet. If you’re all about a brunch scene check out Lynora’s or Benny’s on the beach. Go to La Sirena for an amazing Italian dinner, or Howely’s if a classic comfort food diner is more your taste. My favorite spot for sushi is Yu-Mi, but its small, so no big groups. There is a lot to see and do, but you can always just kick back and enjoy some of the best beaches in Florida.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout to the friends and fellow local artists for doing your thing a encouraging me to keep doing mine. Spending time with them in or out of the studio keeps the creatives fires burning and even as I lean toward the intorverted side of the scale I am forever energized by their company. Phil Fung, Devin Curry, Lisa Kaw, Ana Monsanto, Mandy Mizell, Corey Morrow, Lani Goodrich, Jordan Baum, Linda Andrews, Cruise Bogle, Jesse and Flose LaPierre. From painting zooms, to new collaborations, commiserating, drawing prompts, work referals, critiques, brainstorming and play. They all have some part in continuing to help me grow as an artist and cheer for my successes, and I hope I do the same for them.

Website: Www.sarahlapierre.com

Instagram: @thickpaint

Twitter: @thickerpaint

Facebook: Sarah LaPierre – Artist

Other: Tiktok: @thickpaint

Image Credits
Ashley Capps, Cristyle Egitto.