Artist Bio

Sarah Jane Whyte

Hi, I’m Sarah! I’m a watercolor artist with a deep appreciation for the quiet details of the world around us—soft petals, weathered stone, shifting skies. My creative journey truly took flight during the years I spent teaching art at a primary school in southern Arizona. It was there, under blazing desert skies and surrounded by the rugged beauty of the landscape, that my love of watercolor deepened. The vivid colors of the Arizona sunset and the endless variety of textures and tones in the desert taught me how to see—and paint—with new eyes.

My journey with art started early. As a kid, I’d sit for hours at the coffee table, sketching my stuffed animals with painstaking care—hair by hair, shadow by shadow. I was endlessly fascinated by detail and found joy in the simple act of observation. Though I dabbled with watercolors and landscapes later on, I never pursued formal training. Art, I believed, was a luxury—not a career path.

That belief stuck with me for years. I watched friends in college study art while I stayed on the sidelines, convincing myself that creativity was best kept as a hobby. And for a long time, it was. But everything changed when I took a job teaching art at a primary and middle school in southern Arizona. Suddenly, I had a classroom studio, shelves of materials, and uninterrupted hours to explore. The vivid desert landscapes and soul-stirring Arizona sunsets lit something in me. I found myself returning to the classroom over breaks just to paint and play—rediscovering the wonder of creation on my own terms.

When life brought our family back north, and I was unable to find regular teaching work, I threw myself into art. I spent a year immersed in self-study—experimenting with acrylics, refining my drawing skills, and falling in love with watercolor all over again. Looking back, that was the year I truly found my calling. I now know that I am, and have always been, an artist. Creating isn’t just something I do—it’s something I need.

Today, I paint from my home studio and teach workshops for beginner and intermediate artists across multiple mediums, including watercolor, acrylics, and alcohol inks. My current work focuses on macro florals, botanicals, and natural landscapes, often inspired by the emotional depth and expressive forms found in the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe. Like her, I strive to invite viewers into the often-overlooked beauty of the natural world—the curve of a petal, the texture of a stone, or the glow of a late-afternoon sky.

Though I’m now based in Canada, I routinely return to the U.S.—visiting friends and fellow artists in Seattle, Scottsdale, and Tucson—cities that continue to shape and inspire my creative path. With camera in hand, I find inspiration wherever I go, documenting the intricate details of nature and translating them into watercolor works filled with color, calm, and quiet wonder.

Whether you're here to shop prints, commission a piece, or join one of my workshops, I’m so glad you’ve found your way into my corner of the art world.