BRITISH OIL PAINTER FROM SURREY

Working in oil and predominantly plein air.

Sarah Manolescue is an observational artist with an unrelenting fascination for light and its effects. Based in Haslemere, Surrey with over 20 years of experience.

Artistic depiction of colorful paint tubes on a textured surface

HOW I PAINT

Working in oil and predominantly plein air, I prefer to work on small boards and complete each painting in one session to preserve a freshness and immediacy. I rarely have a subject or composition in mind. Instead, I wait for inspiration to strike – that moment when the light creates something I simply have to capture. I begin by placing large planes of colour, then work into the wet paint to add more information only where necessary. My intention is to say just enough. Skilled drawing combined with a deep understanding of light allows me to capture the essence of a scene, leaving a powerful, lasting impression of place and time.

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Sarah painting outdoors with a landscape scene on an easel

I'm excited by light and I chase it

MY JOURNEY AS A PAINTER

Before becoming a full-time artist, I worked in publishing as a magazine editor. I enjoyed it and learned skills that have been invaluable in running my business, but painting has always been my true love. After having children, I decided to go full time with painting and haven't looked back.

I've spent the last twenty years discovering who I want to be as a painter and what I want to say. I'm excited by light and I chase it – tracking low winter sunlight across my living room wall, creating incredible shadow shapes across everyday objects, or responding to a constantly changing landscape outdoors when weather shifts the mood entirely.

It has taken two decades to develop the skills to capture these moments quickly and succinctly. The day I feel I have no more to learn will be the day I should stop painting. I never want that day to come.

BROWSE COLLECTIONS

Sarah Manolescue is an observational artist

Member of Royal Institute of Oil Painters

PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION

I was elected as a full member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI) in 2023, and I'm also the author of 'Painting Light and Colour in Oils' published by Crowood Press. I won the Small Painting Prize in 2022 and the Themed Painting Prize in 2025 (both ROI awards) and the Yoshimoto Prize at the Pastel Society Exhibition in 2026.

My work has been selected for exhibitions at prestigious venues including the Mall Galleries (ROI, NEAC, RSMA, Pastel Society), and I was commissioned to create 17 paintings for the Cashel Palace Hotel – a five-star luxury hotel and spa in Tipperary, Ireland.

Sarah working on a painting with a palette and brushes on a wooden table.

WHY COLLECT MY WORK?

When you buy one of my paintings, you receive something truly unique that you cannot get anywhere else. It's the culmination of decades of observing and painting, distilled into one fleeting moment. I understand that buying original art is a significant decision. I actively encourage studio visits so you can see the work in person, discuss framing options (paintings are available framed or unframed), and get to know the artist behind the work. I can advise on framing choices that will complement both the painting and your interior.

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COLLECTORS TESTIMONIALS

"You are such a very talented artist. We loved it as soon as we saw it at the Mall Galleries and still loved it looking again a few months later. It will be joining a rather lovely Bernard Dunstan on the bedroom wall."
"I can't get over how beautiful it is. I sat and stared at it for a good 15 minutes and saw more and more in the painting. You have such a brilliant and original style – being able to capture the essence of a view, but also the feeling of standing there, in that light, at that moment. It is magic."
"Absolutely beautiful, and the frame compliments it wonderfully. We are so pleased to be the new custodians."
"It's just perfect. What a beautiful painting. We love it."
"What an uplifting scene, my favourite palette of colours, it's fantastic! Thank you – I could become addicted."
"My parents were bowled over - my dad got a tear in his eye and my mum messaged me yesterday to say she just loves walking past it as it catches the light differently everyday and the water looks like it has movement. So suffice to say a very very successful present!!"

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AN INTERVIEW WITH SARAH - PAINTING INSIGHTS

ARTIST STATEMENT

"Sarah Manolescue is an observational artist with an unrelenting fascination for light and its effects. Working in oil and predominantly plein air, Sarah prefers to work on small boards and in one session, so to preserve a freshness and immediacy in her work. Rarely does she have a subject or composition in mind, instead she waits for inspiration to strike, first placing large planes of colour, before working into the wet paint to add more information where she deems necessary. Sarah’s intention is to say just enough; her skilled drawing captures the essence of the scene she chooses to explore. Her eye for detail and the movement of light leaves a powerful, lasting impression of place and time. Sarah was elected as a full member of theRoyal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI)in 2023."

EXHIBITIONS + AWARDS

2026 Yoshimoto Prize, Pastel Society Annual Exhibition

2026 Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2025 Themed Painting Prize, Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition

2025 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2025 COAST, Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh, Suffolk

2025 Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2024 Mixed winter exhibition, David Simon Contemporary, Somerset

2024 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2024 Autumn Annual, Thompson's Gallery, Marylebone, London

2024 Mixed exhibition, David Simon Contemporary, Somerset

2024 New English Art Club Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2024 In Nature Art For Charity Collective

2023 Elected full member, Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2023 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2023 A Plein Air Vision, British Plein Air Painters Group, RWS Gallery, London

2023 Royal Society of Marine Artists Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2023 ROI Exhibition, Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh, Suffolk

2022 Elected associate member, Royal Institute of Oil Painters

2022 Small Painting Prize, Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition

2022 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2022 Art for Youth, Mall Galleries, London

2022 Chelsea Art Society, Chelsea in colour, Chelsea, London

2022 Chelsea Art Society, Annual Open Exhibition, Chelsea, London

2021 Art for Youth, Mall Galleries, London

2021 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2021 The Way We See It, joint exhibition with Georgina Potter, London

2021 Chelsea Art Society Wedlake Bell Award Exhibition, London

2020 Royal Institute of Oil Painters Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2020 Mixed Summer Exhibition, Russell Gallery, London

2019 Art for Youth, Mall Galleries, London

2019 Mixed Winter Exhibition, Russell Gallery, London

2019 Chelsea Art Society Annual Open Exhibition, Chelsea, London

2019 City, Country, Coast, Norman Plastow Gallery, London

2019 Sky Landscape Artist of the Year (pod artist, top three in heat)

2018 Chelsea Art Society Open Exhibition, Chelsea, London

2018 The Artist Exhibition, Patchings Art Festival, Nottingham

2018 New English Art Club Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

2017 Chelsea Art Society Open Exhibition, Chelsea, London

2017 Wimbledon En Plein Air, Norman Plastow Gallery, London

2016 Pop-up, Box Galleries, London

2015 Pop-up, Box Galleries, London

2015 A Figurative Series, Norman Plastow Gallery, London

2014 Merton Arts Festival, London

2006-2012 Wimbledon Art Fair, Wimbledon Art Studios, London

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