As a young child strolling through museums or turning pages in coffee table art books with her mother, Sarah Ghanooni found herself drawn to the works of great Impressionist artists like Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso. Six years ago, at age 16, she began to seriously explore her passion for art and color and put paint to canvas.
A Bellevue resident, Ghanooni has experimented with many artistic styles, but is always drawn back to the Impressionist style where she says, the “very big brush strokes allow me to be free and expressive, rather than getting caught up in details.”
Her new exhibit, called “Around the World,” is a collection of paintings influenced by different places and cultures. Ghanooni’s exhibit will run Feb. 28 to April 11, 2009 at Pogacha restaurant of Issaquah, 120 NW Gilman Blvd. On April 12, the show will move to Pogacha of Bellevue, 119 106th Ave. N.E,, where it will run until May 23.
During her travels to Europe, Ghanooni has found scenes and settings that she has translated to canvas. Though she will tell you “art is in my genes,” she admits her mother’s artwork is much more realistic.
Although she has dabbled in realism, she is always drawn back to the free form of Impressionist painting. Ghanooni claims that her personally diverse background has taught her to be open minded and to embrace different cultures. A mix of Mexican and Middle Eastern heritage, Ghanooni hopes her appreciation for diversity comes through in the subjects, faces and places of her paintings.
A love of music also has influenced her work. As a musician who has played the piano for 15 years and writes and composes music, musical themes often find their way into her artwork. To meld art, music and diverse culture onto canvass are the focus of her work.
Ghanooni is a junior at Central Washington University in Ellensburg and will graduate in 2010 with a BA in Studio Art. She grew up in Bellevue and attended International School in Bellevue and Chrysalis School in Woodinville. She has previously exhibited her work at the Last Supper Club and the OK Gallery in Pioneer Square, Seattle.
