Hello and welcome to my website which has been running for well over a year now. My name is Sally Porch.
I have been painting all my life. Becoming a professional artist was not so much a goal as a natural progression – you see I have been known as “the artist” (by family, friends and school) from the age of five. Disappointed with my Graphic Art and Design course at college (I was a fine artist at heart rather than a graphic artist) I dropped out and tried quite a few different jobs, but always kept my hand in with commissions; I didn’t advertise – people just seemed to know that I was an artist. Twenty seven years ago I took the plunge and I’m still here – the artist – just not a rich one!
Normally, I prefer to let my paintings speak for themselves, and I still feel the same way. To see examples of my work please go to the Art pages on my site. However, I will tell you about my work, as concisely as possible. Often working in series, I have received some acclaim for my work over the years. In the late eighties and early nineties my series of pastel paintings focussing on the Berber Brides from Imilchil (in the High Atlas Mountains) proved to be very popular and even featured in Emirates Airlines in-flight magazine at the time. It is a subject which fascinates me still and to which I have returned again and again.
Although almost exclusively a portrait artist in my early career, I was drawn by my love of the Impressionists to emulate Monet in painting water-lilies; again, another theme that I keep coming back to. In the late nineties I turned my hand to seascapes and landscapes, often taking inspiration from the beauty of my surroundings in Devon, where I now live with my English husband, Chris. One of my paintings of a local harbour scene won first prize in the prestigious Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Art Competition after receiving the most public votes, and it was bought subsequently by the hospital.
Being an Australian by birth, I guess it’s only natural that I should have a series of paintings in oils on an Australian theme, depicting a variety of subjects, from panoramic landscapes to flooded creeks or a typical old weather-beaten shack with a corrugated iron water tank (“After the Rains”). Whenever I return to my homeland I feel impelled to get out my Aussie brushes and paints, which have taken up residence at my elder brother’s place. When painting on the spot I paint in acrylics – for speed; I can tell you that acrylic paints dry exceptionally fast in the heat – I have to paint like the clappers! At some point I intend to paint a new series depicting the beautiful world inside Australian rain forests.
Nowadays, I paint mostly in oils but sometimes in acrylic (as mentioned earlier); occasionally, however, I also take on commissions for pencil drawings and pastel paintings, especially for paintings of people or pets.
Many of my paintings and prints now live around the world, in countries such as America, France, Holland, Germany, Egypt, Australia and, of course, England. One of my Monet portrait hand-finished prints is being kept in the vaults of the Musee d’Orsay in Paris until I become “famous”, according to the nice curator, who promised he will bring it out when the time comes. Another of those same prints resides in a small hotel in Giverny, not far from Monet’s house and famous garden – the landlord struck a deal with me and no money exchanged hands for my two-day stay. I wonder if it is still on the walls?
Our large Victorian house in Dawlish, by the sea, is home, gallery and studio. But the studio is also my writing den, where I follow my other love of writing. I have written two books so far – “The Innocent Flirt Down Under” (a humorous tale of my adventures in Australia on a short visit in 2011) and “Beautiful Bella” (a story about my relationship with dogs, and in particular, one special dog called Bella – it is something of a love story). Both titles are available in paperback on Amazon.com and in Kindle e-Books.
If you would like to contact me directly (in private), please fill out the contact form below, entering each required field – YOUR name, YOUR email address and your comment. Please note that if you do not enter the required fields your message will reach me as unintelligible “gobbledygook”.I look forward to hearing from you and will get back to you personally as soon as possible.