Summer 2017 - Summer 2018

Sarah Hout August 29, 2018

Discover artist Sarah DeAngulo Hout’s artwork between the Summer of 2017 and the Summer of 2018!

Winter 2016 - Spring 2017

Sarah Hout May 4, 2017

Hey there!

MUCH paint has been slathered over the past 6 months, so here's a quick recap of my latest projects:

BAILEY ELEMENTARY

In November and December of 2016, I had the privilege of creating and painting at Bailey Elementary in Dublin, OH.

Originally, Bailey asked me to design for their gymnasium. They had a huge wall that could use some color, and the kids of the school had already decided they wanted to see animals being active, playing sports and such. So I created a design, and we were stoked to transform the space, BUT we ran into some snags with the lift. At the end of the day, a new plan needed to be made so we rerouted the mural destination to Bailey's Commons area. We stuck with the animal theme, but had the animals embody a more diverse group of activities.

Now the Commons area is where the kiddos eat lunch. It is the area that connects the classrooms to the "Specials" like Art, Music, and Gym class. So every day hilariously adorable elementary students would walk by me and tell me incredibly encouraging things like, "If I had a hundred dollars, I would hire you to paint my bedroom!" -or- "You're the best artist I have ever met!" -or- "Keep up the good work!" ... I may have felt a touch famous.

Though I was initially sad that the mural didn't make its way into the gymnasium, I am super pleased with its final destination. I got to interact with the students of Bailey, learning their names and the names of their teachers... which I wouldn't have been able to do if I was constantly up on a lift in a separate room.

Also, I love that the kids got to watch the entire process. Every day that they came in there was something new to see, and they got to ask me their questions. There is something so valuable about allowing a community to experience the development of a piece of art that impacts their space... It can demonstrate the value of patience and the importance of process and makes the idea of one day creating something large more tangible [rather than intimidating.]

Meanwhile, Bailey Elementary was already NEAR and DEAR to my heart before I painted the mural in their Commons area. You see, back in 2005, it was at Bailey that I created my first HUGE mural... now 12 years ago. It was literally the second mural of my career. The theme was "Wild About Reading" and displayed African animals enjoying a good book on a massive series of walls in their school library. What a privilege to be back at the school that gave me one of my first big opportunities!

The "Wild About Reading" mural in Bailey's library.

AVALON ELEMENTARY

In January 2017, the process began for me to create a colorful, hospitable mural for Avalon Elementary's entryway. Originally, a dark brick wall with an old trophy case took up the space, but Avalon wanted an upgrade that would brighten up the area in which parents and children happened to gather every day.

They ended up installing a large piece of flexible polycarbonate over the brick since they weren't able to paint directly onto the curvy wall. As for the design, it took a few attempts, but the feather fell on one that communicated to visitors what they could expect at Avalon.

In the center of the design, there is an image of the school with their mascot, the Eagle, flying above. To the left you can see kids learning and interacting with their peers and teachers via books and computers, as well as a young girl painting and children playing. To the right there is a depiction of the school's annual bbq, as well as an image of a "Watch Dog Dad" reading to students, and children playing instruments together.

The kids were amazed at the process, and while it was challenging to paint during school hours in such a high traffic area, it was well worth it!

SIGN YOUR ART

I was asked to participate in a city-wide art installation funded by the Greater Columbus Arts Council called, "Sign Your Art." Myself and other artists created our masterpieces on 6"x8" wooden tiles that are destined for a street sign somewhere in the city. Once all of the artworks are in place, they will spell the word "ART" in red pings on Google maps! How cool is that?!

AND... what's more... The community can participate in the creation of tiles as well! Along with each featured artist on their specific street sign, three additional tiles per sign will be added that have been created at The Columbus Arts Festival, June 6-8... truly, a community endeavor!

For my design, I looked up the word "Columbus" and found that it was derived from the Latin word meaning 'peace.' So I chose a dove - a common symbol for peace - and composed it intersecting with elements of the city... Depicting, in the end, a spirit of peace resting on our beautiful Columbus. May the peace our city carries be a signpost to the nations!

A RESIDENTIAL WORK

Just last week I finished up a project for a client in the Victorian Village area. The two main goals of the artwork were to 1) Disguise the door (can you find it?), and 2) Create something "floral, but not floral." As soon as I saw the space I thought of Charles Rennie Macintosh, a Scottish artist who made a lot of work in the Glasgow area during the Art Nouveau period.

I created a design that emulated and adapted CRM's stained glass work to accent the style of the home, putting the already-present color palette of the walls to use. The ceiling above the painting has a copper/bronzey finish, so I used metallic accents within the mural to tie it all together.

I am quite pleased with the finished product!

HARMONY PROJECT: "DREAM ON" MURAL

5-1-17 thru 5-5-17

(I write this post while this project is currently in the works...)

Every year, Columbus' awesome city choir - The Harmony Project - joins forces to make our city a little more beautiful and a little more united by partnering with local neighborhoods through service projects. One element of their community outreach for the past few years has involved the creation of large murals. This year, THREE Columbus Public schools get gorgeous murals designed by Jarvis Art Studios, and I have the privilege of assisting in the process of bringing one of them to life.

Myself and two other gentlemen (Michael Motter and Simon La Bozetta) have been assigned the oversight of the mural at South High School.

It's an awesome site to behold... Students of the school and volunteers from the choir descend upon the design which we have turned into a paint-by-number, and the massive image comes to life within DAYS.

Here are a couple of progress shots. At this point everything has been filled in, and we are looking to simply tighten up the line work.

Isn't it AMAZING?! :)

OTHERWISE...

This girl has painted about 7-8 portraits in between all of these projects... some live, some from photo. I also painted a mural for a church Nursery room. And I developed some prints that will be sold as fundraising for a group's trip to Africa. Check out my Instagram account to see images of these!

Thanks for reading and following my journey. I look forward to sharing more soon!

-Sarah

Recent Events

Sarah Hout November 5, 2016

HOLLAAAAAH!!!

I am so grateful to share that this late summer/autumn 2016 season has been quite the bustle for me and my maniacal mural ways. Here are two stories surrounding my most recent large projects.

Story 1: KROGER

While in the midst of a few projects, I had a swarm of friends "tagging" me on Facebook to an article posted by The Columbus Dispatch newspaper. The article told of a fun, lucrative opportunity for artists. Kroger Company was building three new large, beautiful stores in and around the Columbus area, and they desired to invest in some local artwork.

After - quite literally - somewhere around the 20th person tagging me in this article, I decided that not only did it seem like a wise investment of my time, but it felt divine. So, I made space in my very-much-accounted-for schedule to apply for the opportunity, honestly thinking I didn't have much of a chance.

Two days before my birthday, I received an email letting me know that I had been selected as one of the final 3 artists chosen to compete for a spot as one of Kroger Northland's artists. #saywhat? Not a bad birthday present. ;) There would be two artists chosen - two murals painted - so it was exciting to know that my odds were favorable.

I had two weeks to submit my design ideas. I crafted up two images that were pretty conceptual, and I was really excited about both of them.

A few days after submitting my ideas, I was asked, however, to re-submit. Kroger desired something less conceptual and more representational... and I was given four days to get it together if I wanted the opportunity. NO PRESSURE!

So... I put out feelers to my friends, asking them what places they thought in the Northland area best communicated its heartbeat.

After compiling a huge list, I drove EVERYWHERE, and I even biked the length of the Alum Creek Trail in that section of the city... just to see and know and understand the many facets that create what is termed "Northland." I interrupted other people's bike rides and dog walks in order to talk to them. I awkwardly took the photo of one of the butchers behind the counter at Carfagna's meat market. I took a selfie with a guy who didn't speak a lick of English. I got permission to take a picture of one of the long-standing employees at the Karl Rd YMCA. I discovered the Minerva Park section and Woodward Nature Reserve. And as I meandered through the neighborhoods, it dawned on me... I was on a treasure hunt searching for gold.

You see, the Northland area had been dubbed by many as unsafe and undesirable, as - since it's heyday in the 80's and 90's - the "cool factor" dwindled and crime increased. Many of the wealthy moved out, property values had dropped, and a huge wave of immigrants filled in the empty spaces that were left in that section of the city.

But as I travelled through the area, I became enamored with the colorful beauty that surrounded me, and I became convinced that the extreme amount of diversity that painted the neighborhoods was actually the strength of Northland.

And so, my design celebrated that diverse, colorful spirit that Northland embodies by showing off its people and its hidden locational secrets...

In the end, Kroger chose my design to be featured as the larger of two murals, and would be displayed in the main vestibule (entrance area) of the sparkling new Kroger Northland Village location. :) Just wow. Jaw drop.

The mural was to be 16' tall by 13' wide. And it needed to be created offsite... which in layman's terms means... IN MY HOUSE.

First, it took over my dining room...

...And then it took over my garage.

And, at the end of the day, there were eight panels. Each panel was 4 feet tall, so I could only see half of my mural together at one time. Between this and knowing that my painting would end up on a bright green wall, it took some serious imagination and focus to make sure that it would feel at home and cohesive once displayed.

There were some delays in obtaining my work surface. At first I was going to use wood panels, but ended up (after a long, complicated, stressful process - details I will spare you) deciding upon stretched canvas. Once I actually had what I needed, it left me with only THREE WEEKS to prep, transfer my drawings, paint and varnish each gigantic panel. There were many 12 hour days, and even an "all-nighter" which I had sworn I would abstain from post college. Ha.

I used Liquitex acrylic paints for the overall canvas coverage, and then I accented each subject with a splash of shiny gold Modern Masters paint to emphasize that they were my treasure.

Install day was nerve-wracking and simultaneously glorious. How amazing to see all eight panels secured together and complimenting the bright green wall it was adhered to! Sweet victory!

Whew. What an adventure. Talk about an adrenaline rush!

Thank you, Kroger Co for the extreme honor to craft such a large, significant work for your generous establishment. I consider it a milestone in my artistic journey. May the art bless your store and your overall business. May the people of Northland stop to notice the gold all around them, appreciating the beauty in every face they encounter.

Story 2: Endocrinology Associates, Inc.

Before the Kroger mural began, I was in the throws of a crazy 55 foot long hallway mural that Doctor Elena Christofides hired me to create for her patients in the research department of her practice.

The idea was simple: Create something beautiful and floral, interesting and peaceful. Christofides loves gardens and travel, and wanted each of the patient rooms to have a different scene across from their doorway entrances.

Flowers? Travel? Yes, please.

The final design incorporates 4 ecosystems. It begins with a desert gardenscape, then transitions into a European garden scene, then a Japanese-inspired garden, and finally a tropical rainforest scene. The style is inspired by Art Nouveau work, emulating a watercolor feel, then complimented by outlines.

I had just begun this mural when I found out about the Kroger competition, and once I found out that I had been selected to actually create for Kroger, I had completed about half of the hallway imagery. Doctor Christofides was overwhelmingly supportive when I needed to take a break from her mural and focus on the Kroger deadline... for which I am eternally grateful.

Here are some finished photos of the work I did in her hallway. Since the hall is narrow, getting great photos were a challenge, and these feel sub-par, but they will give you the basic jist.

In the end, this mural took about 2 1/2 months to complete, and I am tremendously pleased with the final product. :) I am so grateful that Elena and her team trusted me with this enormous task.