Sarah Heitmeyer

“I return to the water’s edge to feel my mind empty before me, releasing a swell of intentions to drift and find resonance with the tide. Water gives form to energy we cannot see; the wind, the tide or an applied force that grows and reflects. The movement gives my eye something to focus on, while my mind takes a breath.”Sarah is a ceramic artist specializing in decorative wall tile. Her current work is based in emulating a calming, beautiful moment for viewers and was inspired by regular visits to the Hudson River. Observing the moving water reminds her of what we seek in sanctuaries; a quiet space to process and consolidate thoughts, step out of our habitual norm to reflect and find hope.Sarah is fascinated with applying logic to rippling currents in water. The ornamental design of tile, including repetition and symmetry, merged with the realism of photography creates depth and she plays with how much pattern intersects our perception of an image. Pattern functions as a vehicle through space, offering markers for perception and revealing a subliminal tendency to seek order and repetition, which is elusive in nature.To capture these moments, she uses digital, craft, and studio production based techniques. Digital technologies’ potential for photo realism offers a level of exactitude not commonly found in hand made objects. This invites the viewer closer to find intangible moments frozen in ceramic materials. Her processes of computer-aided design, mold making, press molding, slip casting, and glaze formulation allows her to offer a quiet, immense moment to find yourself within.Sarah received national recognition through an emerging artist award from the National Council on Education of the Ceramic Arts in 2019. She received her MFA at the State University of New York at New Paltz and BFA from Alfred University. She completed a post baccalaureate program at Colorado State University, and has participated in numerous residencies and internships across the US.She has worked for ceramic studios such as KleinReid, Kala Stein Design, ModCraft Tile, as well as a digital design and fabrication lab at the Hudson Valley Additive Manufacturing Center.She exhibits her work nationally and creates in her studio in Fishkill, NY.