SARAH WINKLER | FOLDED EARTH, OPEN SKY
June 4 - 20, 2026
Opening First Thursday, June 4, 6 - 8 pm
Artist in Attendance
Collector Preview, June 4, 5 - 6 pm
My paintings are a captivating fusion of art, geology, and environmental storytelling, deeply rooted in the rugged and dynamic landscapes of the Mountain West, the Southwest’s high desert plateaus and the Pacific Coastal Ranges.
In Folded Earth, Open Sky, I layer my paintings to resemble geological strata, embedding minerals such as mica, obsidian, marble, and sandstone into each piece. These materials bridge the tangible and abstract nature of the physical landscape with my artistic interpretation of it. As a mirrored compositional approach reveals subsurface geology and the visible world above, a dialogue emerges between what is beneath and what is experienced, what is seen and what is reflected. Compositions appear folded with earthbound rocks and minerals suspended in layers while floating in an open sky.
I focus on the ecosystem as a whole. Snow-capped peaks flowing into rivers and wetlands are tied together with seasonal and climatic events as each holistic scene becomes a microcosm of time and place. I decide which specific landscapes or moments to capture as a result of connections made to place during my travels. I seek out geological or ecological features that speak to me and allow space and time to fully absorb chance visual experiences, such as rainbows over Mount Rainier, solar eclipses in the path of totality, or a prismatic dust cloud sunset at Big Bend National Park. These spontaneous moments crystallize a region’s mystique and set the course for creative exploration. In each painting I aim to channel the awe of the present moment alongside the vastness of geological time. — Sarah Winkler
For a listing of more available work and biographical information, please visit Sarah Winkler's primary page on our website.
