IN THEIR ELEMENT

SARA WINFIELD

IN THEIR ELEMENT

Welcome to In Their Element – A conscious exploration of creativity, practice and flow with people we admire from all walks of life.

For this volume, we visit painter Sara Winfield at her Fremantle-based studio. Sara, whose discipline explores the complexities of being a woman, paused to share her innermost thoughts on art, influence and daily practice.

Style details: Place Ring, Lumen Necklace, Vantage Topaz Necklace

"I’m a ferocious reader, and literature is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Joshua Yeldham’s Surrender has deeply influenced the way I think about living and creating."

Where do you feel most in your element?
In the studio and in nature. Both are places where I feel most myself, I don’t have to perform, dress up, or be anyone I’m not. Neither asks anything of me, and I always leave feeling energised and content.

Is there a daily ritual that keeps you connected to your most authentic self?
Tea. No matter how inconvenient it is while travelling, if there isn’t strong English Breakfast tea and proper milk in the morning, a slight panic rises in me. I’m grateful that my ritual is affordable and simple. Tea reminds me of my extended family; morning tea at my grandparents’ house, family friends with boxes of Roses chocolates on the couch, sitting quietly under a tree in a straw chair. Very simple, happy moments.

Who are your biggest influences?
Fashion: Sienna Miller, Thubten Dronme (also love her writing)
Artists: Danny Fox, Rose Wylie, Danielle McKinney, Jack Penny, Rachel Jones, Genieve Figgis
Interiors: Old European buildings, thoughtful uses of colour and texture, spaces that feel lived in rather than styled.
Authors: Douglas Stuart, Ottessa Moshfegh, Donna Tartt
Together, these influences represent a sense of freedom and curiosity that I value deeply. I’m drawn to things that feel worn, thoughtful, imperfect, and alive.

Is there a philosophy or mantra that you return to?
I often return to the ideas in Essentialism by Greg McKeown; the concept of doing less, but better. A disciplined approach to identifying what truly matters and letting go of everything else. My general mantra is that painting will cure all. I notice when I haven’t painted in a while, life starts to unravel. Painting (and moving my body) always centres me.

Is there a book that has inspired your way of living?
I’m a ferocious reader, and literature is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Joshua Yeldham’s Surrender has deeply influenced the way I think about living and creating. I’m also drawn to fiction that explores suffering and the human condition. Darker narratives remind me why making art matters, so that others can feel deeply, and feel less alone.

Style details: Halcyon Ring

"If I were saving something from a fire, it would be childhood photographs. I also have an old jumper of my brother’s from when he was twelve that I can’t part with.Memory, and its connection to scent, is the most valuable thing I own."

Is there a musical genre that encourages you to enter a state of flow?
It changes constantly. Since becoming a mother, my capacity to listen to music has been surprisingly low. I often work in silence, or with whatever the studio is playing. If I do put something on, it’s an unlikely mix, pop, disco, reggae, whatever suits the version of myself that day. I also enjoy listening to Working Hard by Grace Beverley, especially stories about women building ambitious, thoughtful businesses.

What does your ideal day look like?
These days, my ideal day is shaped around family. It begins with tea, ideally before my daughter wakes, even if it’s just ten minutes alone with my thoughts. Once she’s up, we do puzzles, make fairy playdough gardens, and get ready for the day. Daycare drop-off is easy. I grab a coffee on the way to the studio, clear my inbox, then paint for four or five hours. A good session leaves me energised and deeply grateful to have an outlet like painting. Later, I move my body, meet my partner and daughter for an after-work swim, and we ride to dinner at our regular Italian spot. After bedtime, my partner and I read quietly on the couch.

If there was a person (dead or alive) that you could have dinner with, who would it be and why?
I don’t often think about this in terms of famous figures. I feel very fortunate to still have most of the people closest to me in my life. So, I’d probably say my Pop, at the age I remember him most clearly. I’d love to learn how to fillet a fish properly, listen to him whistle his impressive tunes and understand more about farming, avocados, wine and fruit leather. I’d also ask him not to sell the caravan in Bremer Bay, because all his great-grandchildren would’ve really loved going there for Easter like we did.

What is something that you own that holds the most sentimental value and why?
I don’t place a lot of value in objects, things move in and out of my life easily. If I were saving something from a fire, it would be childhood photographs. I also have an old jumper of my brother’s from when he was twelve that I can’t part with. Memory, and its connection to scent, is the most valuable thing I own.

What is a time, moment or place that makes you feel most nostalgic and why?
The farm-house I grew up in. I mourned it for years, and it still appears in my dreams. I can map every inch of it in my mind. The smells that take me straight back are rotting citrus, sheep’s wool, roast lamb, Imperial Leather soap, and smoke. I’m not sure if I miss the house itself, or the simplicity of our upbringing. I’m endlessly grateful my mum advocated for that kind of childhood.