ARTIST Sarah Hornby has a real feeling for the sea – with a background in sailing and ocean rowing, she is now a successful contemporary coastal artist, with exhibitions currently in Wareham and at Sculpture by the Lakes, and an upcoming group show at Canford Cliffs.

Born and raised in Poole, where she still lives, Sarah has a powerful connection to Dorset and the sea runs through everything she does.

Before becoming an artist, she spent many years as an offshore sailor and ocean rower, sailing more than 50,000 nautical miles and completing six Atlantic crossings, including rowing the Atlantic as part of an all-female crew.

“Those experiences continue to shape my work and my fascination with light, horizons and the ever-changing moods of the sea,” she says.

Her paintings are inspired entirely by Dorset, particularly Poole Harbour, Sandbanks and the Jurassic Coast — using textured acrylic, gold and silver leaf to capture something of the atmosphere and changing light of the coast.

She exhibited alongside Dorset ceramicist Dave Pointer in Fire & Tide at Grange Gallery in Wareham, and in the summer exhibition at Sculpture by the Lakes, at Tincleton near Dorchester, until late September.

She also joined a group of Poole artists at Drax Gallery in Canford Cliffs, in August and September.

You can find more of Sarah’s work on Instagram at @sarahhornbyart.

Pictured: Into Stillness, and Last Light.