LIFE BY THE SEA

Living by the sea not only evokes a way of life but also a way of thinking. Life is steady. The tides come and go, and we are pulled in by its never-ending vastness, its powerful crashing, and its gentle ebbing. A place to play — with late evenings and BBQs or the more dramatic kayaking and windsurfing that our varied shores offer.

A Cover Story…

Style of Wight relishes the chance to work with local up and coming artists and our cover for this issue showcases the fine talent of Sarah Redrup, who lives quite literally on the sea!

“If you had told me six years ago that I would one day be sitting on the deck of a steel Dutch motorboat that I call home while illustrating the cover of Style of Wight Magazine, I wouldn’t have believed you. As an emerging artist, the opportunity to let loose all over the cover of a magazine is a rare and exciting one. I have always been a creative person, but it wasn’t until my mid-20s that I decided I wanted to make a career of it. So, while working full-time running Grace’s Bakery with my family, I studied for an MA in Illustration in the evenings. By day I’m selling Belgian Buns and by night I’m sketching away.”

“In the summer of 2022, I made the possibly crazy decision to completely downsize my life and my belongings and move onto a 10-metre steel boat called Summer Isles. While the winters are bitterly cold and the summers are roasting hot, I can’t help but feel extremely lucky to live somewhere so peaceful. I get to watch the sun set and turn the sky that glorious fluffy pink, and I listen to the sounds of ducks, moorhens, geese, and swans. From the decks of this little boat, I make my art.

“I have always been fascinated by portraiture, I find the small details of expressions, eye contact, and body language to be powerful tools for storytelling, even in a singular image. So, for this edition I wanted to anthropomorphise Mermaid Spiced Rum into an actual mermaid. She has long locks of deep brown hair waved and bleached by the salt and sun. Her pink silk dress is a nod to one of the Isle of Wight Distillery’s most popular drinks, Mermaid Pink Gin. The edges are framed by the botanicals used in the rum: rock samphire, apricot, white cherry, vanilla, cassia, holy grass, and honey. Although I work digitally, I like my work to have the look and feel of watercolour, gouache, pen, and pencil.”

We have found Sarah a joy to work with and would recommend that you check out more of her work. She is definitely a creative talent to watch!

Instagram: @Raeable www.sarahraeillustration.com