Check out Sarah Trieckel Detwiler’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Trieckel Detwiler.

Sarah, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona. Growing up, I had always loved art and science. One of my fondest memories involves my Nana and I painting a watercolor of a waterfall when I was a little girl. Throughout my childhood, I constantly created artwork in all sorts of mediums.

In high school, I became involved with technical theater as a scenic artist and loved studying biology, specifically genetics. These passions continued into college, where ultimately technical theater won out in the end. In 2006, I received my undergrad from Northern Arizona University in technical theater with an emphasis in scenic design/painting and a minor in studio art.

Without a job in sight, I headed off to New York to pursue my freelance career in scenic art and design. My first job was as a scenic artist for “Fela!”. From that point, I was hooked. I was a scenic painter for off/on Broadway and television productions and an associate scenic designer/painter for the Actor’s Studio Drama School: MFA Repertory season at Pace University. When I returned to Arizona, I married my wonderful husband and continued designing and painting for the Valley Youth Theatre. During my time with Valley Youth Theatre I received the National Youth Award for Scenic Design for “Hairspray.”

Eventually, I wanted to find a way to combine my love of science with art and design, which led me to teaching. In 2013, I received my Master’s in Elementary Education and became a middle school science teacher. I loved the ability to create projects for the kids that incorporated design, scientific, and engineering elements- like creating digital 3D models of microscopes and cells, engineering prosthetic arms, crafting duct tape water containers, and computer coding. In 2016, I received the Tempe Diablos Rising Star Award.

When my husband and I faced challenging times, I turned to creating art to help me through everything. I decided to start my “Space Trees” Series in earnest and created a number of paintings. Then with a baby on the way, I started my business and continued making artwork during my pregnancy. My first show was when I was 6 months pregnant! Since having my baby this year, I have finally returned to my passion and started a new series, called “Space Doodles.”

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My focus right now is acrylic paint on canvas, however I have started incorporating metallic sharpie work in my paintings for my “Space Doodles” Series. For many of my pieces, I photograph different elements of nature or things I find beautiful or interesting. I then research different galaxies, nebulas, and constellations.

There are a couple of different ways I create my paintings. I usually paint the galaxy background first. Then I mask off the area of the painting for the nature image. Depending on what I want as the negative space, I will draw and cut out the masking. Then I paint over the masking. Once everything is dry, my favorite part (peeling off the tape) happens. It’s the big reveal! Sometimes I know what I am going to get, but other times I am pleasantly surprised.

My paintings are about the possibilities of life- big and small, near and far. I combine the close, relatable pieces of nature with the possibilities and elements of life in the universe in order to create my galaxy paintings.

Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
Many artists work individually, which can make it hard to share experiences and connect with other artists. To combat this, I have a wonderful online group of artists that I connect with on an almost daily basis. We share our small wins, challenges, and troubleshoot business concerns.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Please visit my website- www.galaxypaintings.com and sign up for my newsletter or blog to receive updates about events, paintings, and sales. You can also purchase originals or prints in a variety of materials like canvas, metal, or fine art paper. Please follow me on Instagram @sarahtrieckeldetwiler or like my Facebook page Sarah Trieckel Detwiler @SarahTrieckelDetwilerArt. My next event called- “Mars, Moon, and Meteor Madness” will be on July 27th from 7-9:30 PM at Family Eyecare of Glendale.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.galaxypaintings.com
• Email: sarah.trieckel@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarahtrieckeldetwiler/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/SarahTrieckelDetwilerArt
• Other: www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtrieckel/

Image Credit:
Sarah Trieckel Detwiler

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