“I (am) going to dance on my own mountain and I am going to sing.”
Handwritten on a painted background, Sarah Pozdnikoff’s artist statement relays, in matter of fact fashion, how art speaks to her and makes her feel.
Art is her happy place.
“When Sarah is putting colour on paper, canvas or cloth, she is happy and is usually singing,” says Sarah’s mom Barb Pozdnikoff.
Sarah, who turns 20 this month, lives with a severe intellectual disability. However, she enjoys a range of activities, and more recently, painting has become her favourite hobby.
“When Sarah is painting or creating, she exudes a calm confidence and is relaxed,” says Barb.
“She told me that she feels kind, nice and beautiful when she is painting… I think her creativity is a wonderful part of who she is from the inside.”
Sarah’s colourful abstract paintings can currently be seen at the Lumby branch of the Okanagan Regional Library.
Sarah’s struggles began when she was approximately seven weeks old. She completed her school years at Lavington Elementary and at Charles Bloom Secondary schools, with the help of an aid.
“We have found that (art) helps her get through difficult moods and to transition from an activity from a very early age,” said Barb.
Although Sarah has not been taught to paint in the traditional sense, she has experimented with brushes and using felt tipped pens on paper, working on her art at home. While she paints or draws, Sarah listens to her favourite music, said Barb.
“Her creations are always vibrantly coloured and mostly geometric,” she said.
Sarah’s work has recently burst with new, vibrant colours, thanks to her coach and mentor Robin LeDrew, whom Sarah refers to as “Painting Robin.”
Working with Sarah for the past few months, LeDrew’s role has mostly been to move Sarah away from working just with felts on photocopy paper to painting with water-soluble colour blocks on canvas.
“Wow, what beautiful images came out of that,” said Barb. “The intense colour and adding water before, after and during the process has been exciting to see.”
Describing Sarah’s work as abstract, LeDrew says Sarah has a great sense of colour.
“Her way of dividing up the paper or canvas is instinctual,” said LeDrew. “She loves to listen to music on her tablet while she paints and many of her pictures are named from the songs she was listening to while she works, for example, Cinderella’s Dress and Wish Upon a Star.”
LeDrew is also responsible for helping Sarah’s work get out to the public through the Lumby library’s monthly Meet the Artist series.
“Robin has helped Sarah and our family see the gift she has within her,” said Barb. “It wouldn’t have happened without her… The future is wide open and I can’t wait to see what comes next.”
Sarah will be at the Lumby library, 2250 Shields Ave., Saturday, Jan. 30 from noon to 1 p.m. to further show her exploration of colour.
Her work will be on view at the library for the month of January.
