About the Artist

Sarah Oliver is a multifaceted artist living in Newport Beach, California.  Her current work centers on nature inspired watercolor paintings and a growing love for plein air, bringing together her devotion to both art and the natural world.  Shaped by early memories of camping, hiking, and fishing with her family in Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and Mammoth, her work reflects a lifelong reverence for the landscape and peaceful observation.  Her family always nurtured her creativity with books on the Early Impressionists such as Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh and took her to several visits to museum exhibitions at the Portland Art Museum and LACMA.  After attending four different high schools, art became a source of salvation and self-discovery amidst constant change.  Her mother signed her up for black-and-white film photography class, which further sharpened her sensitivity to composition, lighting, and spotting unrecognized beauty.

Sarah studied fine art at California State University, Chico, where she emphasized in sculpture and explored conceptual multimedia work greatly inspired by her psychology and theory of mind courses.  She also worked on campus as a photographer’s assistant, and photography remains an important part of her process as she gathers visual references while hiking and traveling.  After stepping away from her artistic path to focus on motherhood, she has returned to painting with renewed clarity and devotion. Recent exhibitions at the San Clemente Art Gallery have highlighted her plein air oil paintings and watercolor works as she continues to draw inspiration from local artists in her community.

As an advocate for art as a healthy and restorative outlet, Sarah continues to explore the therapeutic potential of creative practice, with long-term plans to offer instructional and art-based wellness classes as her work continues to evolve and research continues. 

EDUCATIOn

California State University, Chico 2004
Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art graduated Magna Cum Laude
Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society
Academic and Performance Achievement Award, College of Humanities and Fine Arts

Selected Exhibitions and Awards

San Clemente Art Association, February Show, San Clemente, CA, 2026 - First Place
San Clemente Art Association, October Show, San Clemente, CA, 2025 - Third Place
Super Bloom a Solo show, The Naked Lounge, Chico, CA, 2023
Art and Science, The Crux, Chico, CA, 2005
The Crux Artist Collective, The Canvas, San Francisco, CA, 2005
Pastels on the Plaza, Volunteer Artist, Chico, CA 2004 – Best of Show
Evolution of the Dreamer, The 1078 Gallery, Chico, CA, 2004
Fashion and Fire, The Crux Benefit, Chico, CA, 2004
CSU, Chico Student Show, CCACA, Davis, CA, 2004
Trial By Fire, CSU, Chico, Chico, CA, 2003
Divergence, Atlas Clay Exhibition, Chico, CA, 2003
48th Annual Juried Student Exhibition, CSU, Chico, Chico, CA, 2003
8th Annual Student Print Show, CSU, Chico, Chico, CA, 2003
CSU, Chico Ceramics Now, CACA, Davis, CA, 2003
4th Annual Hanging, The 1078 Gallery, Chico, CA, 2003

Publications

Synthesis, Volume 11, Issue 21, January 24, 2005
Watershed, Volume 26, Number 1, Fall 2002