May 2022
May 2022
"A Sarah Delaney painting is a portal into a conversation"
"Although the medium is not a literal dialogue, the colour, gesture, pattern, and movement within the canvas reflect one expressive moment leading to the next "
I first became aquainted with Sarah and her work when she reached out in 2020 to commission a custom Berber rug (featured in this blog). Sarah had been to Morocco previously and now envisioned a customized peice of wool art for her home. I was instantly inspired by Sarah's creative mind, artistic ventures, and investment in supporting global artisans. I had to learn more about her and the space she was constantly shaping to be her home.
Read on to learn more about Sarah vis a vis a series of fun interview questions...
This amazing photo shoot was captured by Mariel Nelms - A Vancouver based branding photographer.
Who has inspired you lately?
I'm inspired by the season shift. The days are getting longer and the trees are bursting with blooms. It feels warmer and optimistic.
In decor, I’m finding myself increasingly inspired my European design. I look at real estate a lot and have been pretty focused on Lisbon. There’s an old world charm that’s present even in their modern flats. The luxurious stone, intricate crown moulding, mixed with light toned flooring, minimal furnishing, and simple cabinetry.
Tell us more about your custom raha roho rug...
I backpacked through Morocco when I was 20. Although deeply in love with the rugs, the lifestyle of sleeping in hostels and couch surfing (on my taxi drivers couch), was a good indication that they were no where in my budget. Almost 15 years later and I finally made it happen, thanks to raha roho.
I love visual language and therefore I am very drawn to the Berber rugs. I was open to the rug makers just creating their own vision in the colour pallet I requested, but Joy explained that they really aim to please and thus prefer to use a blueprint or drawing. So I researched Berber motifs and drew them out. They followed my drawing exactly.
I had the rug made in cream with a Carmel-tan accent colour. I’ve often seen rugs like this with black or grey lines, but the brown makes it that much more unique and fits with the warm tones in our home.
Sarah drew a basic design of her rug using a black pen and paper. we then took this design and gave it to the weavers with the rug dimensions and wool colours to use.
Finish this sentence: “I am happy when…”
I have peace of mind. Most often achieved in the sunshine, with my inspiration cup full and ready to create.
Where can we go to learn more about your paintings and commissions around Vancouver?