shows

“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.

An Honorable Mention for “Inception” from the Sandwich Arts Alliance

| Sarah Connell Campbell

The June Kershaw Open Exhibit includes some extraordinary works in a variety of media, so I’m especially pleased that we earned an honorable mention in the watercolor category. As party of this juried show of 50 works selected from hundreds of entries, judge Hillary Osborn called this Inception “very innovative” – it does stray from traditional watercolor and so I’m particularly glad to be to show it and be recognized.

Thanks to the Sandwich Arts Alliance for the opportunity to submit and share this work. You can visit the show in person until September 2, 2025, at the old Sandwich Town Hall or view it online.

Visit the Sandwich Arts Alliance

“Inception” accepted to the Sandwich Arts Alliance’s June Kershaw Open Juried Exhibition July 22-August 30, 2025

| Sarah Connell Campbell

I’m so pleased to have a chance to share this piece, which sprang from my imagination during a long winter emerging from COVID.

The Sandwich Arts Alliance is a wonderful creative resource for artists and writers on Cape Cod. It’s home is in the old Sandwich, Massachusetts, Town Hall, where you can view exhibits, take classes and browse their shop that’s full of books, cards, images and lots of original art.

The show opens on July 22 – the gallery reception is on July 31 from 5:30-7:30pm. The SAA is open Tuesday – Saturday 11 – 4.

We recently participated in the SAA’s Hydrangea Week art sale, spending a gorgeous July day in the shade sharing our work with people from near and far.

“Greener pastures” wins third prize from the Rhode Island Watercolor Society

| Sarah Connell Campbell
Greener Pastures, watercolor + gouache, 2025

In addition to exhibiting art at their Pawtucket gallery, the Rhode Island Watercolor Society holds a number of online shows each year, and the current exhibit, In the City is where you can find this work.

Juror Bill Lane remarked:

“The color palette caught my attention, the drawing caught my intrigue, and the playfulness made me smile. Great depiction of a busy city scene with masterful shapes and details throughout the watercolor. What fun!!”

Bill is a master watercolorist – I’m a huge fan of his work and so pleased to be chosen from such a beautiful group of paintings in a variety of media.

“Greener Pastures” was inspired by my youth – a mashup of my love for the greens of Iowa summers, my yearning to escape to the big city, and my obsession with the Wizard of Oz.

I went through a phase, post Covid, where painting from photos or from life was challenging, and I relied on my memories and imagination to fuel my art. It was frustrating at first but I like the evolution that occurred.