Sarah McEneaney

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Artworks shown are selected from works submitted by the artist in their grant or residency application. All works are copyright of the artist or artist’s estate.

About Sarah McEneaney

Program Participation

Joan Mitchell Center Residency, 2013

Painters & Sculptors Grant, 2000

Over a 30 year practice themes have emerged in my work: life stories, travel, community activism, home and studio. I paint about my life but these are not solely my stories. My aim is to be straightforward and honest in both subject matter and the creative process; to make the personal universal.

My primary medium is egg tempera on traditionally gessoed wood panels. It is a painstaking but enjoyable process. First the egg yolk is separated and a drop of vinegar is added as a preservative. Then powdered pigments are mixed with water, forming a paste that is added to the egg yolk. The final image is made up of many layers of translucent and opaque paint applied both loosely with big soft brushes and minutely with the tiny strokes more commonly associated with the practice of tempera painting.”