Dartmoor artist draws inspiration from nature

A Dartmoor artist is taking inspiration from her natural surroundings and turning it into stunning pieces of art. 

Sarah Smith, known as The Dartmoor Artist, lives and works on her family farmstead just a few miles from Haytor, where her creative process is deeply influenced by the beauty of the moorland.

ABOVE: Sarah's art titled: "Dreaming of the Moor"

“My work seeks to celebrate the beauty found in the simple things,” Sarah explains. 

“Perhaps something I've seen within the hedgerows or discovered on a walk. Every item I make begins with a hand drawn design. I then create different bodies of work, from acrylic paintings, to sustainable hand painted homeware and inventive interior design. I feel like being creative is part of who I am and what makes me tick.”

Sarah’s journey as an artist began after a personal setback.

In 2016, she hurt her back and underwent spinal surgery the following year. 

“Spending a year on the living room floor during my recovery, was a particularly grey flat period, but enabled me to unlock painting, whereby I spent time channeling a slow burning arty flame,” she recalls. 

“I fell in love with painting, and what would eventually become a small business, also took me to The House of Lords in 2022, when I became one of the top 100 UK Female Entrepreneurs. Art has changed my life and I now share that love with workshops from my studio called The Home of Joyful Makes.”

Dartmoor has always been Sarah’s muse. 

“I walk the hillsides everyday and enjoy the seasonality of life on the farm, often using foraged finds to mark make in my paintings. Using thick textures, stripes and the colours I see within nature, my work is deep rooted in my love of Dartmoor.”

Sarah also grows her own flowers, which influence her vibrant use of colour. 

“Growing my own flowers also inspires bright, beautiful blooms and an unhealthy obsession with vintage jugs and vases! As a designer, I adore upcycling and reusing something that's often been unloved and just needs a little TLC.”

For those wanting to explore Sarah’s art, her current exhibitions include Petals and Props at Canonteign Falls and Never Truly Gone, a study of Dartmoor’s moorlands and seascapes, at Home Farm Café in Bovey Tracey.