Artist Interview: Sarah Wade The Turquoise Mermaid
I met Sarah in the artist's alley at Treklanta. I fell in love with her use of color in her art, and bonded over our mutual love of many things geek. I wanted to interview her so that you may all see her art as well.
How did you get started in art?
It has kinda been a part of my whole life. My father was an architectural design drafter for 40 years, and was huge into art when I was a kid. I was surrounded by books by Larry Elmore, Boris Vallejo and Frank Frazetta. We used to go to art museums, and I was always signed up for art or craft classes at summer camps and such. I blame my dad for getting me started in drawing and painting at a very young age. I remember entering art contests even as far back as elementary school. Then taking art classes all the way through high school and into college when I decided to get a degree in Studio Art.
What is your favorite type of art to do?
Painting. I used to be big into charcoal and graphite drawing but when I branched out into painting my art took a very different turn and I feel like paint gives me the best medium for expression. Watercolors specifically have become my favorite medium. I heard someone say once that painting with watercolor is like painting with Chaos and I completely agree. They have a mind of their own and you just have to go wherever they take you.
What is your favorite art piece(s) that you have done and why?
Oh that's a hard question! I have so many favorite pieces but if I had to pick just one it would have to be my 'Stargazer' watercolor. It was one of my first galaxy watercolor paintings and really set the tone for a lot of my later pieces. It is a profile portrait of a girl looking up into the sky with a galaxy and nebula and shooting stars in her hair. I've always kind of adhered to a 'motto' of Dream Big and Reach for the Stars, and I feel like that piece was the catalyst for my art career.
What is your favorite experience that has come out of doing/showing/selling your art so far?
Meeting other artists and awesome geeks! I have met so many amazing people that I would never have had the opportunities to meet if I hadn't been doing what I'm doing. The geek and nerd communities are full of some of the most intelligent and fun loving people. Every convention I do I walk away from with several new friends on social media who are all so inspiring and supportive.
What are some other hobbies or things you enjoy doing other than art?
I like to Cosplay, Roleplay, and Video Games.
I do a lot of role-playing, both table top and Live Action. I ran a 20 person troupe LARP of Vampire the Requiem for two years called Dark Ridge Requiem. I am now playing in a game that was born from that and is run by two of the players from that old game. I also play with the Minds Eye Society in Atlanta, GA, when I get the chance to make it out to their games.
I do a little bit of cosplay. I have cosplayed both Maleficent and Jem, and have done a large number of original character costumes for gaming. I really enjoy games like World of Warcraft, Minecraft, Ark: Survivial Evolved, Skyrim and am currently playing Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines on my Wednesday streams on twitch.
Are there any geeky fandoms that you love/are into?
Oh absolutely, can I just say all of them? lol! My biggest fandom is probably Disney Villains, Maleficent particularly, but I am a huge fan of most nerdy fandoms. Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel Universe, Wonder Woman, and pretty much anything Joss Whedon ever did including Buffy, Angel, and Firefly. Just about anything by Disney, Dreamworks, Pixar or Studio Ghibli.
How did you get involved with streaming on Twitch?
I'd had some conversations with friends about whether or not they would be interested in watching me paint on a live-stream and tried a few streaming services like Ustream and Picarto. I wasn't really impressed with either of those services. I did some digging and found that Twitch, the big gaming stream service had added a Creative Community for artists and crafters to stream. I didn't dive right in. I tinkered around on it for a few days watching streamers and getting a feel for the service. When I decided to stream, the community was so supportive it just felt like the right thing to do. I've been streaming now for a few months and I love the community that is building around my broadcasts. I have a Discord server set up to keep people updated on my twitch streams which anyone is welcome to join and participate in public chats with us.
Why Mermaid Mondays on Twitch?
I always loved mermaids and anything to do with the ocean. I felt that applying a theme to the stream for certain days would give people more information about when to watch to catch the content they are interested in. I picked Monday for Mermaids because they're both M words. :P
What is something you would like our readers to know about you?
By day I work on art, by night I fight crime... I AM THE TURQUOISE MERMAID! ;) While 2D art is my main focus, I do more than just painting/drawing. I also do leather-work, jewelry and traditional Native American bead-work.
What is the best way for people to access/see your artwork? And do you do custom orders?
The best way to see and purchase my work is on my Webpage. You may also check out my Etsy store.
The best way to keep up with current projects, or giveaways or contests is either on my Facebook page, or to become a patron on my Patreon
I am also active on Twitter and Instagram and post updates on when I am going live and where I am vending on both of those platforms. And of course, on Twitch.
I do take commissions, though they are on a case by case basis, and I require 100% payment upfront. The best way to commission me is to send me an email to SarahWadeStudio@gmail.com with a basic description of what you're wanting, and what your timeline and budget are.
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