Looking at her work and knowing how quickly it's been selling off the walls of local stores and galleries, you'd likely never guess that Sarah Hubbard once almost failed a high school art class.
"Yeah, I know, how do you fail an art class? I guess I was always into artistic stuff, but not really into painting yet. But I think I talked my way into a passing grade," says Hubbard, swaying back and forth in her kitchen with her five-month-old daughter, Elsie (pictured with Sarah), snuggling up to her chest, eyes still watery from her nap.
Hubbard, 27, has only been showing her art since January of 2010, but has quickly attracted the attention of the local art scene with her acrylic-on-wood paintings and their simple yet engaging style. Her paintings all have one inescapable similarity - most of her subjects are outlined in black.
"My mom told us when we'd draw a picture, it's finished when you draw a black line around it," says Hubbard.
For her first show, Hubbard hung a dozen or so paintings on the walls of Lone Pine Coffee, where she was working at the time, not sure of how they'd be received. As it turns out, her work did well, to say the least. All of those pieces sold quickly, unofficially launching Hubbard's art career.
Since, she's painted a number of items, including her massive great dane, Henry, and a wide array of other subjects, including a line of industrial-themed pieces featuring windmills and water towers. Now, she's working on a series of paintings of classic travel trailers - as in AirStreams and Shastas. All the paintings are framed by her husband, Gene, a creative spirit in his own right, who created pipe sculptures in the couple's home near the Old Mill.
One of Hubbard's focuses is to keep her art moderately priced and youthfully oriented so that young people have an opportunity to start an art collection.
"I'd really like to make art that's kind of young. It's meant so that people our age can have original art," says Hubbard.
Her sudden entry into the art world also comes at a time when she's making another transition - becoming a new mother. She says having Elsie around hasn't hindered her artistic creativity and that she's adjusted to caring for a baby with paint on her hands.
"Things are 1000 percent different. For example, I think I can pretty much do anything with one hand now," says Hubbard.
Top Photo:
by Hot Box Betty
903 NW Wall St.
541-383-0500
Last Tango leggings - $54; Koch Scarab tunic - $385; Olipop bracelet - $56;
Ija earings
- $79;
Elsie's Outfit
by Topolino,
842 NW Wall St.
541-318-5663
Onsie by Isabella Chole, $29
Bottom Photo:
Sarah's Clothing
by Hot Box Betty
903 NW Wall St.
541-383-0500
AG stilt jeans - $148; Joie woven top - $198; Blowfish Gimik sandals - $65; ; Chan Luu bracelet - $140;
Elsie's Outfit
by Topolino,
842 NW Wall St.
541-318-5663
Tu-tu by Oopsie Daisy
Baby, $39; Yellow print
outfit by Pink
Chicken, $58
