A painting by contemporary Welsh landscape artist Sarah Jane Brown has reached the finals of the Art Unlimited Open Art Competition 2023. The award ceremony will take place at the Bridport Art Centre on Friday 15th September, from 6.30 – 9 pm, where prizes will be presented. The Open Art Exhibition will then take place at Art Unlimited Gallery in Bridport from the 16th to the 27th of September.
The submissions were assessed by four skilled judges including Lady Victoria Conran and Global President of Christie’s Auctioneers, Jussi Pylkkanen. Select finalists will have their work loaded onto Christie’s live website and viewed by their global art buyers. The first prize is £2500, plus there are several other prizes.
Sarah Jane takes inspiration from the coastal landscape of her Pembrokeshire home, drawing on emotions experienced whilst walking the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. Her paintings reflect internal landscapes through the beauty of the Pembrokeshire skies and countryside, the natural drama of the elements and the sea.
“Our surroundings form a part of us. They shape our perceptions, thoughts and ideals. There is something about being immersed in nature that gives clarity and focus to the space within,” says Sarah Jane. “I am thrilled that my painting ‘On the reef’ has resonated with the judges and reached the finals of the Art Unlimited Open Art Competition.”
Art Unlimited launched its first Open Art Competition in 2022 and promised to return this year with a bigger, better event, including opening the competition to international artists. They succeeded and received a great response. The number of entries has meant that they will be able to give something back to the community a year ahead of plan, details of which will be announced at the awards evening.
Sarah Jane studied Fine Art Painting at the West Wales School of the Arts. Since graduating with a first-class honours degree, her career as a professional artist has steadily gained momentum and recognition. In 2020 Sarah Jane was awarded full membership to the Guild Society of Artists, part of the Fine Art Trade Guild, and the right to use the ‘GSA’ post-nominal letters. The award acknowledges the consistently high standard of her work, as well as her professionalism and business ethics. She has exhibited widely across the UK, including at London’s Mall Galleries with the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the Royal Cambrian Academy in North Wales, enjoying multiple solo shows and overseas exhibitions. Her work is collected internationally.
Featured image: On the Reef, oil on canvas, 51 x 76 cm
