Meet Sara Kathryne Isbell | Fine Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sara Kathryne Isbell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sara Kathryne, what role has risk played in your life or career?
To me, taking risks is what life is all about. Growing up, I used to love my comfort zone more than anything. As I got older, I learned that trying to prevent my life from changing with each season was not only unrealistic, but was also depriving me of so much beauty in life! My grandmother, Lydia, once said to me, “Sara Kathryne, in life, everyone has ‘turns.’ Sometimes, it’s your turn to be in the spotlight, and other times you are meant to sit back and celebrate someone else’s turn. We don’t get very many turns in this life, so when it is your turn, you need to dance.” When I replaced my desire for control with trust in God, I began to live a life of peace and adventure, saying “yes” to new things of all kinds!
After completing 4 years of nursing school and successfully becoming a Registered Nurse, it was definitely a crazy thought at first that I would ever have a career apart from nursing. However, I learned that one of life’s blessings is that we are able to do and be many different things! It was always a dream of mine to have a business to nourish and become a full-time Artist. This past July, I finally embraced “my turn” to take a leap of faith and embark on a new career! My husband, Brett, has truly been the number one supporter of me pursuing my dreams. He and I both live by the motto, “Life’s too short,” and we definitely prioritize each other, traveling and creating experiences over material things or fitting the mold of the “status-quo.” I believe that if you don’t take risks, you may miss out on some of the greatest adventures!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I create art that brings life by creating compositions that combine modern and traditional styles using acrylic, ink and oil pastels. What sets my work apart is the balance of classic floral elements with contemporary lines, perfectly balancing ornate detail with a sense of refinement. When I stopped looking outward at everyone else and started looking inward at who I already was, I found the artistic style I had been looking for all long. That message is the heart of my new collection, “You Already Are,” which is definitely the body of work I am most proud of. I wanted a portfolio that translated my love for transitional design into artwork, and I believe these paintings reflect my truest self.
The road to becoming a full-time artist has only been easy because of the people around me that God has placed in my life, and I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way. The first lesson is from Aliza Licht, as I learned from her to always have 2 sticky notes on my studio wall that read, “If you’re in the room, you deserve to be there,” and “Why not me?” Another favorite life lesson is, “Do not compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20.” It is true that comparison is the thief of joy and everyones story is different, perfectly tailored to them! I truly believe that what God has in store for us will not pass us by, and what is not meant for us will keep on going.
I graduated from nursing school at Samford University in 2020 and began my career as a Registered Nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I absolutely loved caring for babies and families during some of their most vulnerable moments, and was able to use arts and crafts to celebrate their milestones as well! Painting was my “creative outlet” during my first few years nursing, and the entrepreneur in me loved the idea of starting and growing a business!
I come from a family of hard-working entrepreneurs, as well as a family of artists (though not all of them would not admit it)! I recently discovered that my maternal Great-Grandfather attended art school after being deployed in the military, and must have passed down the gene as I have found many of my mom’s beautiful paintings from her 20’s! My dad’s mother, Linda, is a beautiful artist and I remember painting at her house from the time I was a little girl. I now have her paintings hanging in my home and my paintings are hanging in hers – A beautiful full-circle moment! My dad is definitely of creative mind as he is both an entrepreneur and talented musician, and always encouraged my sister and I in our artistic pursuits! My sister is a beautiful artist as well and now is pursing her career in Interior Design. Painting with her is my favorite past time!
After working part-time at the hospital and creating art on my “off-days,” I believed that if I could dedicate all of my working hours to my business, I could grow it to where I wanted it to be! With the encouragement of my husband and God’s perfect timing, I had peace with the decision to pursue art full-time starting in July 2024. It was quite the leap of faith, but I have never looked back! Though building a business is a lot of work, I have never been happier, and I truly feel like I am on vacation every day because I love my job so much!
It is my hope that my joy and passion to create brings a sense warmth and meaning to every space. Though it was bittersweet to leave nursing for the time being, I once heard it said, “There is healing of the body and there is healing of the soul.” I am blessed to have had the opportunity to do aid in healing of all kinds through my careers, and I am very excited to see where this journey will take me next!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend coming to visit Atlanta for a week, I would try to hit all of my favorite spots! We would definitely spend some time in my favorite place – My home town of Marietta! We would definitely walk Kennesaw Mountain in the morning, have afternoon coffee at Session Stand and have tapas for dinner at Silla de Toro! One day we would have to go to West Midtown – One of my favorite activities there is to playing mini golf at Putt Shack! I’d love to go to one of my favorite restaurants in the area for dinner – A couple of my favorites are The Optimist and Forza Storico, with Jeni’s for dessert of course! We would also have to carve out a whole day or two for Buckhead. We would start by visiting Greg Irby Gallery, the gallery that brings me so much joy and feels like sunshine when I walk in! We would then continue down the road to shop at Lucy’s Market, have coffee at Henri’s and pop over to Boxwoods! We would stay nearby for dinner in Buckhead Village at Yeppa & Co. or The Iberian Pig – Both such fun vibes with amazing food! If we were feeling fancy, not far down West Paces is Blue Ridge Grill, my husband and I’s favorite date night spot! Near the end of the week, I would take my friend to Scott’s Antique Market – The dream destination for home decor and “treasure hunting.” I’d introduce my friend to all of my fellow vendors there and enjoy a day of shopping! Before this friend left down, we would definitely need to explore the Belt Line in Midtown and have dinner at Two Urban Licks and drinks either on the rooftop at Ponce City Market or at Ranger Station inside Lady Bird, my favorite speakeasy in Atlanta! Our city has so much to offer and I am so thankful I get to call Atlanta home!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, my Shoutout is dedicated to my family. My husband, Brett, did not hesitate one bit when I expressed my desire to change careers and pursue my dreams! He has gone above and beyond in every way to sustain me so I can pour into my business, and always believed in me even in me, even in my moments of doubt. My mom, Katy, has done more to help me than I could have ever imagined – Helping work my booth at Scott’s, set up for my photoshoots, run errands for me, assist in framing, the list goes on! She and my dad, Todd, have never failed to support me in all of my endeavors. My dad is an entrepreneur and has been so helpful to me in learning how to start and grow a business. One of my favorite things to do is taking walks with him as we share our hopes, dreams and strategies to achieve our goals! My little sister, Olivia, has always built me up and given me feedback on my work in the way that I receive best of all – Sisters just have that way about them! To all of my family and friends, you know who you are, and I would not be here today without every single one of you.

I’d also like to dedicate this Shoutout to my “Brain Trust” – The group of female entrepreneurs that I feel completely safe to open up to, share my ideas with and trust their feedback. This includes Eliza Bishop of Paper Eliza, one of my best friends who encouraged me to attend The Southern Coterie, a conference for female entrepreneurs before I “felt” ready, which ended up being the best decision I could have ever made for my career! My business coach and mentor, Hayley Price, and the Art Coaching Club community she created has truly been an invaluable resource to me. Hayley was the first to encourage me to value my work, overcome “imposter syndrome” and put systems in place to automate my business so I have more time to do what I love – Create! Heather Tamburello, known on social media as “Oh So Lovingly,” quickly became like a sister to me and encouraged me in times of creative block that, “Our creativity is a muscle, so do not be discouraged when it gets tired from working hard. That simply means that great things are coming on the other side!” Marilyn Stromquist, my forever friend and talented photographer, was truly the first to bring my branding vision to life and has given me so much advice in terms of setting up my business! I love sharing our aspirations with one another. My friendships with Marilyn and fellow artist, Meg Indy, have been so good for the soul and they have gone above and beyond to support me both personally and professionally! My fellow vendors at Scott’s Antique Market who have been so wonderful to me are too many to name, but they are truly family to me. Each of these small business owners have become friends for life, and I would not be where I am today without them!

Website: https://skisbellart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skisbellart/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skisbellart

Image Credits
Marilyn Morgan Photography LLC