Sarah BECKTEL

Sarah Becktel grew up in the suburbs of Southern New Jersey and began drawing and painting at a very young age. At age 10, she began studying classical realism with Rebecca Tait and found her calling as a representational artist. Throughout high school, she supplemented her art education with classes at the Moore College of Art and Design. Sarah then attended the Tyler School of Art where she graduated with a BFA in painting in 2005. She continued her studies of figurative drawing and painting at Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia and the Art Students League in New York City. Sarah's focus is contemporary realism, and she has shown her work in solo and group exhibitions across the United States. She currently resides in Jersey City, NJ and works out of her studio in Newark, NJ. 

 
When Sarah is not working in her studio, she is educating artists and students about their mediums and materials. As an Artist Educator for Strathmore Artist Paper and Gamblin Artists Colors, Sarah lectures at art schools and ateliers about the characteristics of art materials and how to choose the right products for each artist's individual needs. She served as Product Research Director for the Colored Pencil Society of America from 2009 to 2015, which led to a rich understanding of lightfast testing and art materials manufacturing. Sarah is also a member of ASTM International’s subcommittee for artist materials, where she helps to maintain and revise standards related to the quality and lightfastness of art materials.