Current Gallery
Ode to Joy
Friday 15th September – Saturday 24th October. Launch party Friday 15th September 6-8.30pm, all welcome.
Highlighted Workshop
Tutored Life Drawing with Sarah Nelson at The Witham, Barnard Castle
Tuesday evenings from September 15th
Welcome to Sarah Nelson Studio & Gallery
I am an artist, curator, founder and builder of a hempcrete home/studio & art gallery in rural North East England. My eco build journey was filmed and broadcast by Ch4’s Grand Designs in 2025.
My practice combines live drawing and printmaking. I’m fascinated by the relationship between humans and animals; specifically farmers and livestock and latterly jockeys and race horses. Capturing movement, through direct observation, encourages instinctive expressive mark making. This method of working feeds into the workshops offered here at Sarah Nelson Studio which encourage individual expression and a joy of creativity.
Sarah Nelson Gallery invites selected artists to exhibit their work within the gallery space. Free launch parties, to which anyone is welcome to attend, celebrate each new exhibition. The gallery is open by appointment at other times. Upcoming Exhibition; ‘Ode to Joy’ by Alfons Bytautas RSA. Launch party this Friday 15th September 6.00pm-8.30pm, all welcome.
Live Event Drawing
I draw with energy and joy, directly from life. Commission me to draw live at your event and capture the personality and atmosphere of being there in unique bespoke images .
Commissioning me to draw at your event gives guests the experience of watching an artist work while also receiving a piece of art reflecting the character and energy of the event.
‘Capturing the movement, gesture and energy of event in live art’.
Upcoming Workshops
Try Life Drawing (at The Witham, Barnard Castle)
Date: 15/09/2026 6:30 pm
Duration: 2 hrs
Price: £15
Ability: All
Tutor: Sarah Nelson
View Event
Kitchen Lithography
Date: 19/09/2026 10:00 am
Duration: 6 hours
Price: £120
Ability: All
Tutor: Alfons Bytautas RSA
View Event
Live Drawing at Auction Marts
My work captures energy and dynamic gesture within movement by drawing live, directly from a moving subject. I am currently fascinated by the theatre of the auction mart and draw live at sheep and cattle sales in the Upper Dales, north east England.
I try to capture the energy of busy, noisy mart days, drawing attention to this integral part of the rural community, by inviting the viewer directly into the shared space through my expressive and responsive mark making.
Ink on paper 30 x 20 cm
My Eco Home/Studio Build with Hempcrete
I was born in Sunderland but moved south in the 1970’s. Now, 40 years on I have come ‘Back to the North’ to Teesdale, where I am about to start building an eco home/studio, using Hempcrete. My blog will document this journey.
Please contact me for enquiries, or to purchase my work via the box below or message me at Instagram