With artworks celebrating the richness of lived experience, Sarah Furzer explores themes of connection, identity, joy, and the beauty found in everyday moments. Through bold forms, confident figures, layered textures and vibrant colour, each piece is ultimately a reflection of love, diversity, togetherness and resilience.
How would you explain your artistic style and approach to someone unfamiliar with your work?
My work is inspired by my lived experiences. I’m drawn to bold shapes, confident figures, layered textures, and vibrant colour. I love exploring themes like connection, identity, joy, and the beauty in everyday life. Each piece feels like a celebration of love, diversity, togetherness, and resilience.
Did you follow a formal fine arts education, or are you self-taught?
I’ve always loved creating, from childhood drawings to years spent in design and illustration. That led me to complete a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication, which opened the door to working as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator. I worked with a leading Melbourne Design studio, collaborated with fashion brands, and created commissioned pieces for private clients. Becoming a mother, and later experiencing the deep loss of a child, shifted my creative path profoundly. I returned to painting as a slower, more personal form of expression. What started as a quiet outlet eventually grew into a full-time art practice.
What is your background and where are you currently living?
I’m originally from Melbourne and now live on the Bellarine Peninsula, which has become a huge influence on my work and daily life. The slower pace, the colours of the ocean, and my surroundings all shape the way I create.
How has your background and the places you’ve lived influenced your art?
Living by the coast and my love for the ocean show up everywhere in my work. The colours, the energy, the memories, time with my family, it all makes its way into my paintings.
Do you follow a structured creative process, or is it more intuitive?
The process is more intuitive, like with a colour palette or a feeling. I work best when I’m not overthinking and just responding to the moment. Once I’m happy with where it’s heading I usually bring these drawings to the computer and play around with the shapes in my figures, often exaggerating them. I like to explore scale and compositions too until I’m really happy. Then I take these to the canvas.
How has your work evolved over time?
It’s become more intuitive, expressive, and personal. Early on, I was more design-focused. Over time, especially after becoming a mother, my work became more centred on emotion, colour, and storytelling. I’ve learned to trust my instincts more and let the work unfold naturally.
What role does colour play in your work?
Colour is everything, I love it. My paintings often reference moments in time, places I’ve been, and shared experiences, and using bold, vibrant colours helps evoke feelings of joy, connection, and warmth.
How do you want people to feel when they view your art?
I hope my art makes people as happy as I feel when I’m creating it. I want viewers to feel connected in some way, maybe reflecting on their own relationships or memories. If a piece brings someone joy or comfort, that means the world to me.
What has been the most rewarding moment in your career so far?
There isn’t one single moment, it’s more a collection of small, meaningful ones. Seeing my work hanging in someone’s home, hearing that a painting made someone feel something, or watching people connect emotionally to a piece, those are the moments that stay with me. Also, stepping fully into my art practice with confidence has been incredibly rewarding.
What challenges have you faced as an artist, and how have you overcome them?
Balancing motherhood and my art practice has been a big challenge. As my daughter has grown, I’ve found a rhythm that works for us. She doesn’t need me in the same way she did in her toddler years, and I’ve learned to embrace the balance that feels right for our family. I know I’ll have more studio time as she grows older, but I’m happy with where we are now. But I think trusting myself and believing in my voice and style has made me more confident in leaning into what feels true.
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
Im still emerging :) But I would probably say...
Show up for your practice, even in small ways. Don’t compare your self to anyone else. Make the work that feels true to you.
Is there a particular piece of your work that holds special meaning for you?
Yes, I have a huge piece in my home, almost two metres tall, that I can see from my studio. It’s a slightly abstracted figure standing with surfboards. I painted it right after our first road trip up the east coast. We camped in our van...two adults, a child, and a dog all squeezed in. Every day felt like a new adventure, new surf spots, long swims, bunkering down from wild winds with books, disconnecting from phones, reconnecting with each other… it was bliss. That painting holds all of that.
If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you’d be doing?
Probably something still in design or fashion, or interiors. I’ve always gravitated toward visual, creative work.
What do you like to do when you aren’t painting?
I love the simple things, slow mornings, coffee in bed, early beach walks, time with my family, trips to Melbourne on the ferry, and pottering around the garden with my chooks.
What does your creative workspace look like, and how does it shape your process?
I work from my home studio, which is the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. If it’s messy, my mind feels messy too. It has beautiful north-facing light and a view of the main street, so I don’t feel too tucked away.
What do you love most about that space?
There’s a big north-facing window that looks out onto the garden and the street. I’m surrounded by family photos, drawings from my daughter, books I love, magazine clippings, sketches, and works in progress. It feels personal and comforting, a place that holds all the things that inspire me.
Which mediums do you prefer working with, and what draws you to them?
Golden Flow acrylics are my preference. The colours are vibrant, and the fluid consistency is beautiful, perfect for building up layers and movement.
What first sparked your passion for your current artistic practice?
Becoming a mother, and the profound loss of a child changed my relationship with creativity. Painting became a way to slow down, reflect, and express things. What began as a quiet outlet eventually became my full-time practice.
Walk us through a typical day in your studio — what routines or rituals do you follow?
My day usually starts with a beach walk with the dog. It clears my mind and sets the tone for the day. When I get home, I make a cup of tea and usually do a little tidy or rearrange things. It’s almost a ritual now, it helps me settle in before I start painting.
How do you recognise the moment when you need to create? What triggers your inspiration?
I can feel it, a sort of pull or restlessness. It might be colours I’ve seen, a moment with my family, something in nature, or just the need for quiet. Creating helps me process life, or to distract from it. Inspiration often comes from everyday moments.
Are there recurring themes or subjects that continually draw you in?
Definitely. Human connection, motherhood, identity, and coastal life are all recurring themes. I’m drawn to figures, colours, familiar shapes that relate to family, resilience, joy, and the beauty in everyday rituals.
What’s the most unexpected job you’ve had outside of your art career?
When I was 19, I worked as a housekeeper and waitress at a resort in Uluru over the summer to save for uni fees. It was such a memorable experience.
Tell us something quirky about yourself that not many people know.
When I was 21, I was a front seat passenger in a serious head-on collision. I broke my back and was told I was a “bee’s dick” away from being in a wheelchair. I spent two months in hospital and then a full year in rehab learning to walk again. It had a massive impact on my life and pushed me to work harder, finish my degree, and really go after what I wanted. And a fun fact... I don’t drive and have never had a driver’s licence!
If you could host a dinner with three influential figures from the art world, who would make the guest list?
I’d invite Mark Bolan (singer songwriter and poet) for his story telling and fashion tips! Anni Albers for her incredible approach to pattern and textiles, and Frida Kahlo, whose emotional honesty has been so inspiring.
What’s next for you in your artistic journey?
I’m excited to keep growing and exploring new ideas. As my daughter gets older and I naturally gain more time in the studio, I can see my practice expanding in new ways , maybe larger works, I’d like to explore new mediums, or new collaborations. I’m staying open to whatever comes next.
