About me.

Creating art, playing music and competing in sport have run through Sarah’s life, each discipline influencing the other. Energy in her paintings, whether explosive or contemplative can be felt through the mark making and choice of palette, whatever the subject matter.

STOP PRESS: Sarah Lester, formerly Sarah Sanderson.

Born on Christmas day in Paris, an only child to older tennis playing parents and a spinster Jazz pianist aunt living in Switzerland, Sarah grew up often quietly observing her changing surroundings and ‘people watching’ - sketching as she went.

Five years as a music scholar at Bryanston School in Dorset where creative arts were placed at the forefront, with alumni including Howard Hodgkin and Sir Terence Conran, she could be spotted sitting on an Iron Age Fort painting the setting sun over the glistening river Stour.  Another five years spent in Oxford followed with a degree in Art & Music.

Throughout this decade Sarah was also competing at International level in Golf in many parts of Britain, Ireland and abroad - always with a paint palette and camera, soaking in the atmosphere, recording her surroundings.

 Although with accomplished levels in Fine Art, Music and Golf, their commitments were pulling in diverse directions - she was considered by some to be a misfit, unconventional, puzzling at the very least.

 So in 1989, Sarah joined the British Army, ending up a Captain. Posted near the Yorkshire Dales for two years, by the sea near Chichester for another two and in between driving around the French and Austrian Alps during the winter months for three years Alpine Ski Racing, she took advantage of these new horizons yet also knowing she ‘didn’t really fit in’, so she left, and spent the next fifteen years mostly based in London where her Art developed into her lifelong dominant passion.

Working at Christie’s Auction House in King Street for several years acted as an antidote, then studying in Chelsea at Heatherley’s School of Fine Art for a Diploma in Portraiture reinforced this commitment.

From 2000 onwards her connections within the mens professional golf world opened up exciting opportunities - as an Artist, Journalist, Travel writer, Author, Radio and TV Presenter.

2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry, Sarah was filmed sketching the golf course, players and public, mentored by renowned artist Harold Riley “see how the crowds move around the course, in unison, like a wave, a symphonic crescendo, then fall silent to observe the play, like a musical pause” - this resonated with her.

The PGA European Tour then commissioned a collection from Sarah reflecting the action and emotion of Europe’s Victory in The Ryder Cup. 

From her garret studio in Battersea to a barn in Suffolk she produced 18 paintings which the next May were exhibited at Wentworth, filmed by SKY with the artist explaining the project.

That December Sarah’s next Art Show took over the ground floor of Christie’s South Kensington with the impetus on Skiing in the Alps and Surfing in Cornwall.

Acting in tandem with this was the launch of her uniquely written Golf instruction book “Shape Up Your Golf” (Harper Collins), with her esteemed Literary agent, Ed Victor encouraging off-piste creativity.

2003 at The Gallery In Cork Street, London, W1, another solo show with a mixture of action and landscape works, she asked for advice from the founder of the Portland Gallery, Tom Hewlett for her next challenge.

Following England’s progress in the Rugby World Cup, Sarah created in real time, 15 paintings. Tom sent her to industry respected Christina Leder framing and gilding with fine results.

SKY News came to her studio and later interviewed her in their studios. The presenter, holding one up to camera received an added bonus - wet paint on his fingers - the perils of live TV!

In November at The Cafe Royal, London, the star piece picturing Jonny Wilkinson’s kick to victory raised £12,000 for Children In Crisis (Duchess of York’s Charity). Bought by heavy weight city firm Cantor Fitzgerald’s CEO, Lee Amaitis, who then proceeded to commission a 6ft x 4ft painting of his horse ‘Worldly Beauty’ racing to victory.

2004 The International golfing community celebrated the 250th Centenary of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, the governing body of golf, held at St Andrews. Employed by the BBC, she was given autonomy to sketch live and paint Arnold Palmer in situ and to best capture the essence of St Andrews by the sea. (some of which she sketched while in a wetsuit, in the sea, looking back at the golfing grandstands!).

During these years her work took her to Sri Lanka, Dubai, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Long Island, Sea Island, and closer to home, Ireland.

By the Autumn of 2005 Sarah had created seven considerable different solo shows. Her private commissioned works continued at pace and she had donated works to three charities raising over £24,000.

Earlier that year, two dramatic events occurred - both on the same day, February 14th. She got engaged and her father died. Throwing herself further into work, the engagement collapsed. In grief and burnout she retreated alone to Rock in North Cornwall.

In 2006 she showed a series of paintings based on her view out to sea repeated alongside her written daily emotional barometer diary “Stepper Point Diaries”. This cathartic record gradually enabled her recovery and she then linked up with the Padstow Contemporary Gallery. Land and Seascapes were beginning to push to the front, with the occasional surfer crashing in.

For the next twelve years although she considered Cornwall home, and focusing on figurative and Landscape pieces, commissions sent her to Marbella, Lucca, Meribel, London, Florida, Bermuda, Switzerland and Goa.

In 2019 she met her now husband, Andy, who as a creative director, fellow painter and musician has been instrumental in enabling Sarah to expand in this fresh direction.