About
Characterized by bold strokes and vibrant colours, Sara’s work reinterprets classic Canadian landscapes in a contemporary fashion. With intuition guiding her colour choices and composition, Sara paints loosely from photographs and impressions from her travels across North America. She utilizes brushes, palette knifes, and carving tools, painting alla prima, to maximize texture and create energy in her work.
My paintings are an emotional response to what I treasure most in our natural landscapes. Most scenes are untouched by humanity, captured as a nostalgic representation of my experience. I see the world through colour, at times imagined and surreal, as nature feeds my soul and provides endless inspiration. Once I started landscape painting, I began to experience my environment differently. Snow, pavement, and clouds were no longer white or grey, but different hues of blues, purple, and pink. Now I note subtleties in colour variation, intrigued by the tints that shadows display. By being more mindful of my everyday surroundings, I find inspiration all around.
Sara holds a Master’s of Nursing from the University of Ottawa, and worked part time as a Nurse Practitioner with vulnerable youth while pursuing a professional career as an artist. Sara now paints fulltime in her home studio in New Edinburgh, Ottawa.
Art Education and Training
Numerous independent courses at the Ottawa School of Art under Blair Paul and a few painting workshops with Gordon Harrison, Sheila Davis, and Richard Claremont.
Art-related Professional Experience
Created and organized New Edinburgh Artist’s Studio Tour in Ottawa, Canada, 2016-2019. www.nestudiotour.com
Gallery Representation
Santini Gallery, Ottawa, ON, 2014 – Present
Canvas Gallery, Toronto, ON, 2019 - Present
Butter Galley, Collingwood, ON, 2020 - Present
Electric Street Gallery, Ottawa, ON, 2020 - Present
Solo Exhibitions
Santini Gallery, Shorelines, Ottawa ON, March 2023
Santini Gallery, Finding Time, Ottawa, On, May 2021
Santini Gallery, Classically Canadian, Ottawa ON, February 2020
Crichton Street Gallery, Wild and Free, Ottawa, ON, April 2019
Crichton Street Gallery, New Edinburgh Inspired, Ottawa, ON, February 2018
Santini Gallery, New Edinburgh: The Landscape within, Ottawa, ON, March 2017
Santini Gallery, Viridian Skies, Ottawa, ON, March 19 – April 9th, 2016
Group Exhibitions
Headlining Square Foot Show, Feb 2023
Small, Medium, and Large, Santini Gallery, Nov 2022
Landscape exhibit, Butter Gallery, Oct 2022
The New Art Festival, June 2022
Landscape Show, Santini Gallery, March 2022
Landscape Show, Butter Gallery, June 2021
Square Foot Show, Paula White Diamond Gallery, Nov, 2020
Small Art Show, In2art Consulting, Nov, 2020
Small, Medium, Large, Santini Gallery, Oct - Nov, 2020
Square Foot Show, Julia Veenstra, Oct 2020
Big Ideas Show, Paula White Diamond Gallery, Oct 2020
Congruence, I Like Your Work Summer Juried Show, Summer 2020
Water, Electric Street Gallery, Summer 2020
Social Distancing International Virtual Exhibit, Michael Rose Fine art, Spring 2020
Balance Between, Santini Gallery, Ottawa, ON, February 2019
On the Road, Ontario to PEI, Santini Gallery, Ottawa, ON, October 2018
New Edinburgh Artist’ Studio Tour, Ottawa, ON, Sept 2018
Santini Gallery, Landscapes, Ottawa, ON, January 2018
Urban Art Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Dec 2017
Manotick Art Gallery and Framing, Manotick, ON, Nov – Feb 2017
New Edinburgh Artist’ Studio Tour, Ottawa, ON, Sept 2017
Santini Gallery, Our City, Ottawa, ON, July 2017
Santini Gallery, Falling into Fall, Ottawa, ON, October 2016
New Edinburgh Artists’ Studio Tour, Ottawa, ON, September 2016
Santini Gallery, Three Artist: Three Perspectives, Ottawa, ON, October 2015
Public Space Exhibitions
The Opinicon Resort – Elgin ON, Spring 2017 – present
Clover Restaurant, Ottawa, ON, Summer 2018
The New Art Festival, Ottawa, ON, June 2018
Windmill Developments in partnership with EQ3 – Spring 2017 – 2018
Barristers Lounge, Landscapes, Ottawa, ON, winter 2017
Johnny Farinas, Landscapes, Ottawa, ON, Summer 2016
Toronto Distillery Company, Landscapes, Toronto, ON, 2014 – 2016
Loladot Studio, Almonte, ON, 2014 – 2016
Café Italia, Landscapes, Ottawa, ON, May 2016
Café Italia, Landscapes, Ottawa, ON, November 2015
Barristers Lounge, Landscapes, Ottawa, ON, October 2015
The New Art Festival, Ottawa, ON, 2009
The National Capital’s Tulip Festival, Ottawa, ON, 2009
Press
New Edinburgh News, The verve behind NEST: artist Sara Mullen, April 2020
http://www.newedinburgh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NEN-2020_04-April-WEB.pdf
New Edinburgh News, NEST brings a new season of colour to New Edinburgh, October 2016
http://www.newedinburgh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/NEN-OCT2016_web.pdf
Ottawa Life Magazine, A dash of colour, getting to know Sara Alex Mullen, Summer 2016
http://www.ottawalife.com/2016/07/a-dash-of-colour-getting-to-know-sare-alex-mullen/
New Edinburgh News, See where the art happens at NEST, June 2016
http://www.newedinburgh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/NEN-June-2016_Web-Quality.pdf
