Where do I begin! (Skip to the bottom if you just want to hear about... custom portraits!) To be totally honest, I’ve had some much needed “rest” being away for a while (or at least popping in only here and there). It’s been a long “maternity leave”, if you will, but I’ve truly felt that it’s what I’ve needed to do and for a few months I really didn’t have a choice as I was very sick after the delivery of my little baby. I’ve needed this time with my new little boy and family. I posted on social media a little over a month ago though about how I was still figuring out the balancing act of “being a mom” and “being an artist” and everything else that I try to be from day to day. I have since realized that I will always be figuring that out. I can keep adjusting and learning and transitioning and becoming a better “me” every single day. How mundane would it be if every day was the same? I love the freshness of every new day. If I failed at something yesterday, I can take today to try ... View Post
Sarah C. Nightingale - Fine Art - SarahNightingaleArt.Com
Original impressionistic artwork by Chicago-based artist Sarah Croft Nightingale. Created with optimism in pursuit of beautiful, undisturbed moments. Award-winning and collected around the nation. Follow along the art-making journey.
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Latest from the blog:
A Book Of Mormon Easter – Illustrated
I’m so happy to be sharing my first illustrated book with you: A Book Of Mormon Easter: The Resurrection Story in Picture, Verse, and Song (links below.) It officially released on Valentine’s day, but I wanted to share now with Easter just around the corner. It’s a beautiful book that I couldn’t be happier with. The book illustrates a key story in The Book of Mormon when Christ appears to the ancient inhabitants of the American continent after his resurrection, which also coincides with scripture verses and words of hymns (from author Michelle Kendall.) It also comes with a CD of hymn arrangements by Carson Kendall, and they are such beautiful, beautiful arrangements. I was nearly in tears at how perfect they are. It’s a really wonderful compilation to celebrate Easter and learn what it’s really all about. The subject of these illustrations are so deeply a part of who I am. I don’t often paint religious art, but every time I do I really love it. The art has a reverence about it and ... View Post
Welcoming Petunias – Featured Painting
It's been a while since I've featured a painting here on my blog, so I wanted to share this one. This week while working on my Christmas children's book illustrations, I just needed a quick break from the pressure of illustrating. I wanted to paint something that was just "no pressure" and allowed me to be free with my work. Doing paintings for "me" is such a refresher sometimes. Anyway, I came across an image on my phone that I took months ago of these beautiful petunias, and immediately knew that's what I wanted to paint. They did their job, and I had SO much fun painting them. I was able to get back to my illustrations with much more clarity and motivation afterwards, too. I named the painting Welcoming Petunias though because here in Dallas, just starting this week, I've been seeing gardens full of petunias and the big box shops putting out all their garden supplies and flowers. It's always my favorite when you walk into a shop and there are flowers for sale out front--no matter ... View Post
Recap and Where I’ve Been!
Where do I even begin with this post?! I have so much to say, so many things I have been wanting to share, and so many things planned between now and the end of April. First, let’s recap a little bit! In case you missed it . . . I’m pregnant! We’re expecting our first little man in April, and we are excited beyond words! Because of that . . . It’s no secret that I was quiet on social media, my blog, and elsewhere for a few months this past fall and winter. Around August, the early stages of pregnancy and all it’s terrible but wonderful side effects hit me very hard. I’m sure there are plenty of women who have and have had it far worse, but for me, it felt pretty terrible. I wasn’t expecting to be so nauseas all. day. long. and neither was I expecting to be so utterly exhausted all the time. I wish I could tell you I only fell asleep in my studio chair while working from my home studio a few times, but unfortunately it happened more often than not! I had many projects going ... View Post
My Top Ten Most Asked Questions
When I was 13, a few of my paintings were in an Art in the Garden: Home and Garden Show. It was my first time ever really putting my art out there and having to represent it as the artist. I had been in children's art shows prior to that, but this one felt a little bit more serious to me. Afterwards, I remember saying telling my mom about every conversation I had with very kind and generous people (she had probably heard the conversation herself, but I was a bit jazzed about it all.) Over the years, I'm still asked a lot of those same questions as I was then, but my answered have hopefully evolved and matured. Maybe you've had a few of these questions for me yourself? Here are my top 10 most asked questions. 1. Q: When did you start painting? A: I was about 7 or 8 when I got a set of Acrylic paints, some drawing supplies, and an “art desk” for Christmas. Not too long after, I tried my hand at oil paint with a real artist and I loved it. It's been seventeen or eighteen years since ... View Post
When The Winds Come – A Story of Plein Air Painting
Earlier this week, a dear friend of mine, Eliza, her little sister, Sarah, and I went out to Lake Michigan to do a little bit of watercolor painting. The lake is such an amazing part of living in Chicago, and it was a very warm day! It was so warm that none of us did our hair and escaped our houses as fast as we could that morning. Lucky for us, it was picture-perfect at the lake with a breeze! But tragedy struck!!! At the start we (or maybe just me) felt a little frazzled to find a good place to paint and quick! I had groceries being delivered in 1 hour, and that didn’t give us a lot of time to paint and get home in time. It should be noted that I tried to change delivery time, but I had forgotten my password and didn’t have it on my phone (whoops!) We decided to paint out on the jetty, or maybe it’s the lookout?, and it was a beautiful view of the Chicago cityscape. After we laid all our supplies and things out to start painting, I realized that I didn’t bring any water to ... View Post
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