Get to know me

Were you involved with creating artwork throughout your childhood?

Not really. I remember drawing horses and dogs and coloring as a kid, but I stopped doing it for fun at about age 10. I took art in middle school, but not in high school, and not as an adult. At age 41 I started doing abstract photography. At 42, I picked up my first oil pastels, and then acrylic paint. I have not yet put any of them down.

What drives you to continue to create?

Painting helps me relax, inspires me, heals me, is my main source of entertainment, and is now what I do for a living. I cannot imagine, especially having started as a middle aged person, ever stopping.

What inspires you as an artist and why?

I love color—bold and bright is my favorite. I also love nature and all animals. I love seeing art and media with expressive and organic shapes and lines—the wonkier the better. I get inspiration from interacting with people, and from my own feelings. Inspiration is literally everywhere, everyone, and everything.

Who do you admire as an artist and why?

Henri Matisse’s floral paintings. I love Jean- Michel Basquiat’s raw expression and commentary. I love everything about Van Gogh’s work. Current artists I love are Chad Elliott (Iowan and gem of a human), and Louise Fletcher. It’s hard for me to name just a few because I get insight and inspiration from all painters in some way.

What do you enjoy about the art scene in our area?

It can feel a little lonely being an artist in a rural area, so I am super grateful I’ve met so many wonderful people and businesses who value and purchase my work. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to build a life doing this, but I’m overjoyed that’s been possible. Connecting with, and now joining, the Fort Dodge Fine Arts Association has been invaluable. The first time I met with Shelly she had so much information and so many wonderful insights I’ve used since then—and the partnership with FDFAA and Shiny Top Brewing has given me a huge opportunity to show my work here.

Where can your work be viewed/purchased?

My work is currently on display, for purchase, at Shiny Top Brewing through November 2025. My website is saramiddletonart.com, and it lists links to my social media. I sell a lot just via my Facebook page. I also have pieces on display at Fuel Coal Fired Pizza in Clarion, cards and small abstracts for sale in the gift shop at Iowa Specialty Hospitals & Clinics in Clarion, and crafts and small works at SKR Vintage of Winterset. I’d love to be in more businesses. I also do commissions, and am positively itching to do murals.

You win a FREE trip to anywhere in the world, all expenses paid. Where do you choose to go, who would you take with you, and why?

I’d love to drive the entirety of the United States with no timeframe or agenda. I’d love to take so many people with me that the only fair answer is my beagle, Hank. He’s my daily companion, and I try to take him everywhere.