Sarah Vandepeer came into the world in a bit of a rush having been born in the back seat of a car (after hitting a kangaroo) at Kelira, 30 miles from the hospital in Kingston South East South Australia.  She is a middle child with two brothers and was brought up on a large beef cattle and marino sheep property.  In order to complete her schooling, Sarah was sent to boarding school in Adelaide where she remained until joining the Army in March 1985.  

 

Art was always a passion for Sarah, and following in her mother’s footsteps (a talented painter), she went on to qualify and work as a graphic artist.  Times were tough and work scarce so after spending a year in the Army Reserves, Sarah joined the Army full time to become a reprographic illustrator within the Royal Australian Survey Corps.  This was short lived as she was accepted into the Royal Military College, Duntroon as one of the first group of women, graduating in June 1987.  Her artistic talents were to be put on the back burner in pursuit of a career as an Army Officer.  

 

In 1996 Sarah survived the Port Arthur massacre, being one of a few to walk out of the Broad Arrow cafe after the shootings, still alive.  She was subsequently discharged with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and thought that her promising career was over.  She overcame the challenges and went on to have a career in the Airline Industry.  Working for Cathay Pacific Airways as the Regional Catering Manager Australia and New Zealand being a career highlight.  Settling down and having a child meant that the busy career was not sustainable so she reenlisted into the Reserves to undertake some writing and policy tasks while raising her son.  In 2013 she rejoined the Australian Regular Army.

 

In 2016 another tragedy occurred when Sarah lost three of her family, missing at sea presumed dead.  Although a tough nut, it was soon after this incident that Sarah chose to rediscover her creative pursuits as a way of healing and nurturing herself, knowing full well what the residual damage of a traumatic event can be if not well managed.  Eclectic and diverse, Sarah likes to dabble in a multitude of creative styles and mediums, from creative writing  and amateur poet to painting, drawing, printmaking and digital art.  They are all part of her portfolio, as is furniture restoration and a few other crafts.  Never afraid to use a strong and bold colour palette and flitting between digital, traditional and contemporary styles, she continues to search for her niche.  

 

She has recently transitioning back to the Reserves so that she can concentrate on her passion as an emerging artist. Life at present is good, even under Covid 19 lockdown.  The slower pace of life and living comfortably in a grand old heritage home (complete with studio) that inspires creativity are all attributing to producing more art.