Sarah Iskandarsyah
Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a full-time wife and mum of 2 teenage daughters. Our little family consisting of; my husband and 6 month old daughter who is now in uni, moved to Perth in 2003. After our second daughter was born in Perth 2005, we officially called this quaint city our home sweet home. I was born and raised in Jakarta. As a child and teenager I travel a lot with my family and by myself. We visited many museums and exhibitions during our travels, which was the beginning of my love for paintings. My favourite artists would have to be Henri matisse, Kandinsky and Roy Liechtenstein. My parents love for the arts was instilled in me since I was a little girl, beginning my journey in primary school. Our home where i grew up is surrounded by special art pieces and paintings. I used to give my drawings to family members for presents. After quite a confusing journey of discovering what i really wanted to concentrate on after high school, it finally brought me back to my true passion that being art. I studied at the art institute of Seattle and received my diploma in print design from the Corcoran School of Arts and Design in Washington DC.
What is your favourite drink?
I always have a cup of coffee in the morning (a cappuccino is my go to). Drink tons of water daily and I’ll have green tea for a pick me up drink in the afternoon. So I guess these are a culmination of my favorite drinks.
What inspired you to start drawing?
In 2018 after an operation that left me resting at home for 1 month, I made a list of things to do at home and one of them was sorting my daughters old art tools from their primary school days, this consisted of a plethora of materials, some not even used yet!. I didn’t want any of it to go to waste so I begun drawing again and never halted through to today. I always see myself as a mixed media artist. I like to try to use different mediums such as acrylic, markers, coloured pencils, collages and incorporating these aspects into one piece. I take my inspiration from details around me; a special kind of flower, a coffee mug, a corner of a room, a chair, a photograph, anything!
What advice would you give other artists/creatives starting out?
Don’t be afraid to start doing any form of arts. Painting, drawing, jewellery making, pottery, sewing etc. Ensure you finish your art without expecting the end result (you will be amazed with what you’re capable of!). Enjoy the process and find joy in doing it. If you find that you are really serious about it and want to take it further, don’t hesitate to join workshops or even short courses from an expert. I myself, have taken a short course for acrylics painting at the Claremont School of Art a couple of years ago and loved it! I additionally partook a sewing and knitting short course which i very much struggled in . I’m also keen to learn about gouache painting in the future. Keep going, keep learning and follow your passion.
You can read more about Sarah Iskandarsyah here.