SARAH WINKLER
Sarah Winkler’s work explores geological aspects of landscape formation. Combining Studio Art, Earth Science, and Creative Writing during her studies at William Paterson University, Winkler began her career as a collage artist and graphic designer. Her work draws inspiration from the diverse geological landscapes she has encountered throughout her life. Having lived in places ranging from the rugged terrains of Malawi, Africa, to the dramatic coastlines of Big Sur, California, and the majestic Rocky Mountains, Winkler now resides in Colorado, where her studio sits at an elevation of 9,000 feet. Currently, she sketches in a collage format using printed imagery that she creates either physically or digitally. Each layer is then hand painted to retain the cut-paper aesthetic and convey the strata of geological time in landscapes. Locations like Mount Rainier National Park and Pikes Peak are not depicted with identical exactness. Winkler instead positions her work in the abstract state between the physical world and the emotive experiences of place.
Winkler’s art is represented in galleries in the US and Canada, and has been featured in museums and Art Fairs such as Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, Bakersfield Museum of Art in California, Art Aspen, and the LA Art Show. Her work has since been featured in over 100 prominent US and international collections, from Maker’s Mark Whisky in Kentucky, to Vail Health in Colorado,Mountain Shadows Resort in Paradise Valley, Arizona and Hotel Oberland in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Winkler is a participating artist in the US Department of State’s Art in Embassies program, where she has recently been showcased at the American Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. She was named one of the top ‘Women Painters on the Rise’ by Artsy Inc. and was curated into their 2022 digital billboard campaign 'Scenes of Summer' exhibition in New York City. Her work has been featured in Scientific American, Times UK, Vail Valley, Mountain Living, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, American Art Collector, New American Paintings and in the documentary, 'Moment' by Making Art Films.
ABOUT THE WORK
My paintings are a captivating fusion of art, geology, and environmental storytelling, deeply rooted in the rugged and dynamic landscapes of the Rocky Mountain West, the Southwest’s high desert plateaus and the Pacific Coastal Ranges.
I layer the paintings to resemble the geological strata and embed minerals such as mica, obsidian, marble, and sandstone to bridge the tangible and the abstract nature of both the physical landscape and the artistic interpretation of it. Using a mirror effect to show the hidden subsurface geology with the visible world above, creating a dialogue between what’s beneath and what’s experienced.
I focus on the ecosystem as a whole, from snow-capped peaks flowing into rivers and wetlands, tied together by seasonal and climatic events to paint a holistic picture. It’s as if each scene becomes a microcosm of time and place. I decide which specific landscapes or moments to capture as a spontaneous connection made during my travels. My travels involve seeking out particular geological or ecological features that speak to me and allowing space and time to fully absorb the chance visual experiences of double rainbows over Flaming Gorge, Solar eclipses in the path of Totality, a prismatic dust cloud rainbow sunset at Death Valley National Park—it’s as if these spontaneous moments crystallize the region’s mystique and continue to set the course for my creative exploration. I aim to channel the awe of the present moment with the vastness of geological time in each painting.
AWARDED COMMISSIONS
Sarah Winkler’s work has been placed in Fortune 500 companies, Hospitality, Healthcare Facilities, Corporate Offices and Sports Facilities. Below is a selected list of where you might find her work displayed internationally.
HOTELS, CRUISE LINES
Royal Carribbean, Oslo, Norway and Barcelona, Spain • Cosmopolitan Hotel of Las Vegas, NV • Hilton West Palm Beach, FL • Deer Valley Resort, Park City, UT • Montage, Deer Valley, Park City, UT • One Empire Pass, Park City, UT• Mountain Shadows Resort, Paradise Valley, AZ • The Phoenician, Paradise Valley, AZ• Viceroy, Aspen, CO • The SLO Hotel, San Luis Obispo, CA • Marriott Paso Robles, CA • Ritz Carlton, Denver, CO • Lodge Tower, Vail Village, Vail, CO • Hotel Oberland, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA • Montefiore Einstein Medical Center, Labor and Delivery, Bronx, NYC • Vail Health Hospital, Vail, CO
CORPORATE FACILITIES
Amazon HQ, Bellingham, WA • Chevron HQ, San Ramon, CA• Albemarle Corporation, Kings Mountain, NC & Charlotte, NC• Catalyst HTI, Denver, CO • Newmont Mining Corp. Denver, CO • Morrison & Foerster Law Office, Denver, CO
WINERIES AND DISTILLERIES
Makers Mark Distillery, Louisville, KY • Imagery Winery, Sonoma, CA •Justin Vineyards, Paso Robles, CA
SPORTS FACILITIES
Squaw Valley Resort, CA
RECENT EXHIBITIONS
SOLO EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)
*Exhibition catalogue published.
2026 - Solo Exhibition, Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA
2026 - The Big Pretty, Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, Lindsborg, KS (Museum)
2026 - Off Piste, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
2025 - Sea to Sky - Whistler Contemporary Gallery, Whistler, BC
*2025 - Desert Modern - Vail International Gallery, Vail, CO
2025 - River Stones - Visions West Contemporary, Livingston, MT
2023 - Edge of The Wild, Foster/White Gallery, Seattle, WA
*2023 - Peak Perspective, Vail International Gallery, Vail, CO
2022 - Scenes of Summer, ARTSY, New York, NY
2022 - Uplifted, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
2022 - Chasing Starlight, Eclipses & Rainbows, Visions West Contemporary, Denver, CO
2022 - Montana Landscape, Visions West Contemporary, Bozeman, MT
*2022 - Heart of The Mountain, Vail International Gallery, Vail, CO
2021 - Mountain Glow, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
2021 - Dreams About The West, Owen Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
2020 - All Mountain, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
2020 - Land of the Glacier, Visions West Contemporary, Denver, CO
2020 - Reflections in Winter, MiXX Atelier, Telluride, CO
2019 - Monumental Duality, K Contemporary, Denver, CO
2019 - Stratification: MiXX Atelier, Telluride, CO
2019 - Sedimentary, Foster / White Gallery, Seattle, WA
*2019-2023 - Art in Embassies. US Dept. of State. US Ambassador’s Residence, US Embassy, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
2018 - Exploration, A Survey of Recent Works, K Contemporary, CO
2018 - Luminous Mountainous, K Contemporary, Denver, CO
2017 - Altered Landscapes, Space Gallery, Denver, CO
2017 - Past / Present, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
2016 - Abstracted Landscapes: Four World Views, Space Gallery, Denver
2016 - Formations, Constructed Landscape, Helikon Gallery, Denver, CO
2011 - Golden Contours, San Luis Obispo Art Museum, San Luis Obispo, CA (Museum)
GROUP EXHIBITIONS & Art Fairs (selected)
2024 - Air, Foster / White Gallery, Seattle, WA
2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 - Mountain Standard Time, Visions West Contemporary, Denver & Montana
2024 - Water, Foster / White Gallery, Seattle, WA
2023 - Seattle Art Fair with Foster/White Gallery. Seattle, WA
2023 - After The Gold Rush, Western Gallery. Austin, TX
2022 - Fire, Foster / White Gallery, Seattle, WA
2022 - I Love the West and The West Loves Me, Visions West Contemporary, Denver, CO
2022 - Earth, Foster / White Gallery, Seattle, WA
2021 - Wildflowers, Gallery MAR, Park City, UT
2020 - Jackson Hole Fine Art Fair with K Contemporary. Jackson, WY
2019 - ART ASPEN with K Contemporary. Aspen, CO
2019 - LA ART SHOW with K Contemporary. Los Angeles, CA
2019 - Response, Colorado Governor’s Residence. Denver, CO
2019 - Art of the State, Arvada Center, Colorado
2018 - Open Space: The Finite Frontier, Curtis Center, CO