Sarah Theophilus, OPS

Born in the United Kingdom, I moved to Canada as a child and now reside on the West Coast on Vancouver Island. I am largely self-taught, and sold my first commissioned portrait at the age of sixteen. I was initially fascinated with graphite and the simplicity and control of black & white studies, but during my school years was introduced to oil pastel by my art instructor and immediately fell in love with it's colours, texture & versatility. For me, it is the perfect medium with which to capture the lifelike quality and soft, velvety detail of animal portraiture.

The focus of each of my paintings is the eye, and the story an animal can convey in a simple expression without saying a word. My joy is in the challenge of capturing that spirit and communication, and the soft touch of fur on a flat canvas. Although I strive for lifelike realism which stands up to close scrutiny, I also try to preserve a certain quality of painterly effect from the nature of the oil pastels themselves.

Memberships:
The Oil Pastel Society
AKC Museum of the Dog Artists Registry
The League of Animal Artists

Publications:
The Animal World
The Shepherd's Dogge
The German Shepherd Quarterly
The Rhodesian Ridgeback Quarterly
Golden Retriever Annual ("The Artists Eye")
MTV's Cribs Book
Pet Death, by Sandra Helene Straub
Unbelievably Good Deals & Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're a Dog, by Darlene Arden

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