Collage

“May Altar” included in the Umbrella Arts Student Show, A Moment of Reflection, now through August 30, 2026

| Sarah Connell Campbell

I owe so much to the Umbrella Arts Center in Concord, Massachusetts, for the opportunities they’ve provided to me and countless other artists, giving us a chance to pursue art instruction from an incredibly gifted group of instructors whose work inspires us every day.

I’ve studied under Kat O’Connor on and off since 2017, when I took my first watercolor class at the Umbrella thinking it might help me help Walt expand his art to include painting. It turned out that I was the one who expanded my art horizon under Kat’s steady guidance. Kat has mentored a devoted group of artists whose affiliation with her is measured not just in years, but decades, and I am honored to be among them and learn from them.

Each summer Umbrella Arts offer students a chance to share classwork completed during the past year, and I decided to submit my piece, “May Altar,” which is part of a series of paintings I did that were inspired by Mary and the Rosary. You can see the whole Moment of Reflection show in person through August 30, 2026, or take a virtual tour

May Altar, 2026

Other pieces in that series include:

Rosary Paths, 2026
Praying Outside the Lines, 2026

I don’t think I’m finished with this subject matter.

The Umbrella Arts Center is at 40 Stow Street in Concord, Massachusetts. It’s right in the heart of Concord (near the Library) and there is lots to do and see nearby.

Time to Get Out of the House! On Display Now Through March 26, 2026, at Concord Art: “Deconstructing Me.”

| Sarah Connell Campbell
Deconstructing Me, collage 2025

Concord Art’s Member Juried 2 show showcases multimedia work, and this is a really beautiful show with some extraordinary work. I am honored to be selected and hope that the lousy weather won’t keep you from making time to see it.

Located in the heart of Concord, MA, this gallery never disappoints, and there are lots of places to see, walk and eat nearby.

“Deconstructing Me” Accepted to the Unfinished Woman Exhibition at the Cultural center of Cape Cod, October 9-November 3, 2025.

| Sarah Connell Campbell
Deconstructing Me . Watercolor + collage, 2025

This special series of events, “The Unfinished Woman – Who Am I Beyond the Roles that I play?” is inspired by Joan Anderson’s Book series, A Year by the Sea. This art show “honors a profound and often overlooked chapter in a woman’s life—the quiet moment after the roles of partner, best friend, volunteer, or caretaker begin to fade.”

Although I’ve created art of some kind throughout my life, I took up watercolor in 2017 as a way of expanding my skills while also hoping that my adult autistic son, who loves to draw primarily with markers, might also be interested in watercolor (spoiler alert: he’s sticking with markers). But I fell in love with watercolor partly because I was fortunate enough to find a teacher, Kat O’Connor, and a talented group of painters who have guided and inspired me.

I started out hoping to create work I thought others would consider proper watercolor, and while I still create traditional work, I’ve also reconnected with the artistic style that defined my youth, which leads me to explore all the memories that go with that. Now I’m rebuilding my artistic vision and my inner life.

This collage piece depicts my journey through media, styles and subject matter through the years as I work to break free of my own expectations and create work that celebrates who I am now while valuing the people and experiences that got me here.

I’m thankful that the Cultural Center of Cape Cod presented an opportunity for me to review my work and make something out of my paintings that have snippets that I love but were flawed in other ways – saving the good parts and cutting out the rest is a valuable process.