Sarah Westphal is an Artistic Photographer & Fine Art Painter currently living and creating in North Tonawanda, New York.  She is currently attending Buffalo State College for both Photography as well as Painting. She will be graduating at the end of the Spring 2012 semester.

    Her current work focuses on the process of HDR and how color is able to grasp the beauty in everyday scenes.  She looks for the interesting angles that most people would pass by and chooses to think outside of the box when it comes to choice of subject matter.  A normal, boring scene isn't what she is searching for, but rather she finds odd, detailed, and colorful places to produce eye catching images that no one else would have thought of.

    Having been inspired through the process of HDR, Sarah discovered that the same effect HDR has on photographs could also be used in painting.  Being able to see what normally isn't there and bringing it into a new light has become her goal.  Even though our eyes don't normally see an olive green in a shadow or a fire engine red on a toe, it makes sense when it all blends together to make an image.  She strives to see the bright colors in the highlights and rich tones in the shadows, processing them just as a camera would but through the use of a brush.


Artist Statement

An eye.  Everyone has one, most have two.
An eye is how we perceive life.
Each eye is unique, special to the owner.
Through the eye we can capture color, light, and moments.
But with the eye we can either see or we can create.

I choose to create.

As an artistic photographer and painter, I want to create images that hold true to what is beautiful in my eyes.  Rich colors, vivid luminance, and dramatic angles that give an extra note to each creation.  There will always be objects, subjects and muses, but it is up to the artist to turn them into something more.


Education

Buffalo State College                   
Buffalo, NY                       
September 2009 - Present              
Photography Major & Painting Major       
                           
Niagara Community College
Sanborn, NY                      
September 2007 - 2009               
Fine Arts Major                 
                          
Niagara Wheatfield Senior High School           
Sanborn, NY                               
September 2003-June 2007


Exhibitions

"Vivid Visions," a solo exhibition of paintings and photographs, Bacon Gallery, Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY December 2nd - 8th 2012.

Fine Arts Student Show, Czurles-Nelson Gallery, Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY, April 2012.

Dean's Student Gallery Show, Rockwell Hall 218, Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY, April 2012.

NASAD Student Show, Czurles-Nelson Gallery, Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY, March 2012.

Fine Arts Student Show, Czurles-Nelson Gallery, Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY, Jan 2011.

“Across the Visual Arts,” A group exhibition of different majors for the winners of the James Lombardo Award, Czurles-Nelson Gallery, Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY Sept 2011.

“From Life,” A group exhibition of figurative Sculpture, Bacon Gallery, Buffalo State College, Buffalo NY  Aug 2010.


Awards


Chosen for the Summer Student Research Program Grant, Summer 2012.

Chosen to participate in the Dean’s Gallery Invitational Show, Fall 2012.

Fine Arts, Plein Air Award for Painting. Buffalo State College, Upton Hall. April 19th 2012.

James Lombaro Award for Photography.  Buffalo State College, Upton Hall. September 9th 2011.



Memberships

TCCC - Twin Cities Camera Club. 2010 - Present