Kirsten Sadlier Breathes New Life into Recycled Surfboards
Kirsten Sadlier has lived all over the country. From New York to the Pacific Northwest to Palm Springs, she’s created a name for herself as a talented artist known for her oversized pastel abstracts. But since moving to her current home of Laguna Beach, her art has undergone a SoCal makeover with her new favorite medium: surfboards.
We came across Kirsten on Instagram and knew we had to have one of her boards in our home. Once commissioned she’ll want to learn more about you to get a glimpse of your personality and the space where the work will be displayed. With each stroke of her brush she evokes memories – past and future – that mold together for a unique creation, that’s unlike anything else in the world.
A Kirsten Sadlier piece is much more than a recycled surfboard – it’s the start of a conversation that promises to be beautiful, cultured, and fun, just like the artist herself.
You grew up in New York which is polar opposite to Laguna Beach, tell me about that difference?
What I enjoy the most is the quality of life that Laguna Beach allows my family and I to live. Having an artistic mind allows me to feel things deeply and experience life with all of my senses. I’ve gotten so much inspiration from the colors of the mountains while hiking, the sand on my feet running, and the green that pops when the ocean is shining.
I’m grateful for my life in NY which taught me that anything is possible, but I truly feel I’m living the California dream now.
Ultimately our biggest push in moving to Laguna was when our seven-year-old son fell in love with surfing – and when your child finds what they are passionate about you become passionate about it, too.
Tell me about your family?
My husband and I were in love at second sight and have been together ever since. We had Grant in NYC and Pierce followed 3 years later while we were living in the Pacific Northwest. Being a boy mom is so much fun, and at the same time totally out of my comfort zone – lots of surfing and nerfing. Our family loves taking our Sprinter on adventures and going camping (which is also another thing I wasn’t mentally prepared for)!
How has Laguna inspired your art since being here?
I grew up sailing, and for me the sea brings a sense of clarity.
Happy? Go to the beach! Overwhelmed? Go to the beach. Celebrating? Go to the beach.
There’s a comfort and an innate feeling in my soul when I see the water and hear the waves. Being able to paint while hearing the ocean and watching the sparkles of the water calms me and allows me to focus.
You also spend a lot of time at your house in Palm Springs… what does the desert mean to you?
Although polar opposite the desert and mountains to me is an energy recharge. While I’m there I love long runs and all the bougainvillea alongside the neutral stucco homes. The textures of the mountains often lead me to pinks in my art.
When did you first get interested in art in general?
I don’t remember when art wasn’t in my life actually. Both sides of my grandparents were artists and my father was an art publisher. I grew up being encouraged by my mother to be creative and take my own path when I was creating. I’m fortunate to have had my talents appreciated and nurtured at a young age – but it wasn’t until my second son was born that I took it to a career level.
How does art make you feel?
Art is a way for me to put my feelings out into the world without spoken words. As a highly sensitive and emotional person this release is both therapeutic and important for me as a person, and especially as a mother.
I create my art to bring light and brightness. I want people to feel the love I create with.
Tell me what the inspiration was to start painting on surfboards particularly?
The bigger the better for me when it comes to art. I really enjoy the challenge of a large canvas and the energy it can bring. When my son Grant caught his first wave his life was forever changed. Both my husband and I love design and when I was working on one of our home projects I decided to put one of my abstracts onto a board in honor of Grant’s love for surfing.
You are known for your pastel colors, tell me about what colors mean to you and what motivates you when starting a painting?
A lot of my work is commission based, so for me it’s understanding my client. I love seeing their space but I also love knowing who they are and what they want the art to mean to them: a song, a special place, where they are happiest, what lights them up, so many things can go into my art.
You’re recycling a lot of the boards and there is something beautiful about giving old boards a new life. How does that come into your art?
I love being able to repurpose boards and paint on them. I think their connection to the ocean and that they were used by people lovingly in our community is super cool. I also like supporting local businesses so having blanks created here in OC and then glassed after I paint them is wonderful too.
What does the future have in store for Kirsten Sadlier, the artist?
For years I have been saying, “When you love life, it loves you back” and I think there’s many interpretations of that phrase. For me I am so grateful to have the ability to create and connect with people.
When I hear that people are moved from my work it feels like I am on the right path in life.
The feeling of creating from my heart and hopefully creating things other people feel are beautiful – that’s the way I’d like to continue my career as an artist.
Photos by: Mari Verdugo.