About Christina Sadler

I believe creativity connects us to who we really are. Through my paintings, I aim to help people reconnect with themselves, their emotions and the natural world. Some pieces bring calm, others speak of hope through darker moments, but all are about feeling something real. 

Nature and human nature have always been a source of inspiration for me, the rhythms, cycles and quiet spaces of the world around us, alongside the patterns, memories and emotions within us, give perspective and flow into the way I work.

The act of painting itself is also a way I connect, it's how i discover something about myself, how I quiet the noise of everyday life, and how i explore emotion, rhythm and possibility. I love exploring how paint can move, change and surprise, reflecting life's own ebb and flow. 

My art is also about connection: with emotion, with imagination, and with the world, both external and internal. I want each piece to invite reflection, spark curiosity, or offer a moment of pause, a chance to feel, notice and be present. 

Selected Projects and Exhibitions

  • Exhibitions and Art Showcases

    • Art Below - Artist in London Underground Showcase
    • John Lewis Pop-Up Shop - Retail exhibition of original work
    • Sixteen Gallery - Group Show
    • Sixteen Gallery - Abstract Exhibition
    • Sixteen Gallery - Postcard Exhibition
    • Nature in Art - Postcard Exhibition

  • Public and Community Projects

    • Lions at Large Trail - Creator of "Zale" their hero lion (first lion created)
    • Warm Spaces Project - Community health
    • Off We go Project - Social isolation project
    • Create Your Future - Future artists workshop and talk

  • Work with Institutions

    • National Gallery - Van Gogh living painting project
    • National Gallery - Schools Project (Rednock school)
    • BBC Radio Gloucestershire - Evening Co-host at home
    • Gloucestershire NHS - Mental Health in Crisis room artwork
    • Gloucestershire NHS - Children's mental health room artwork

Artist Bio

Christina Sadler holds a first-class degree in Fine Art from the University of Wales. Before dedicating herself full-time to her art practice, she built a rich career in the arts, working as a program manager, education officer, and in various roles within arts and health. 

Currently, Christina is represented by Wychwood Art Gallery in Oxford. Her art has been exhibited on the London Underground and showcased in a pop-up shop at John Lewis, and her work is also available on Saatchi Art. Additionally, she is part of Sixteen Gallery in Cheltenham. Christina created the hero lion for the Lions at Large trail, which raised funds for the Big Space Cancer Appeal.

Christina's practice explore the connections between human nature, the natural world, and emotion. Through her paintings, she invites reflection, sparks curiosity, and offers moments to pause and feel something real. The act of painting is a way she discovers and connects, slowing the noise of everyday life and revealing insights about herself and the world.

Her work extends beyond traditional gallery spaces; she is passionate about the power of art and actively engages in outreach programs, providing artistic opportunities for individuals using art for well-being, such as children unable to attend school. In 2024, she created an immersive installation for the National Gallery Road Trip, transforming an empty shop into a living painting inspired by the collection.

Her commitment to meaningful impact is evident in her projects aimed at improving NHS spaces, where her paintings have been transformed into wall vinyls for mental health areas in hospitals. Additionally, Christina teaches abstract painting workshops throughout the county, sharing her passion for creativity with others.

Projects

From bespoke artworks for NHS hospital environments to community outreach sessions aimed at enhancing wellbeing, her recent projects have been driven by a passion for meaningful engagement.​

View Projects

What Guides My Work

  • Creativity

    Celebrating creativity is at the heart of being human and everything I do celebrates that, whether through painting, teaching or simply living a creative life

  • Emotional Connection

    My art should provoke a feeling, reflection and engagement. It's not about prettiness or perfection, but about touching something real in the viewer.

  • Nature

    Nature is grounding. The rhythms, cycles, and quietness of the natural world inform my work and provide perspective.

  • Honesty in Expression

    I embrace light and dark, calm and tension. My work and communication is authentic, reflecting life as it is, not as a perfect version.

  • Balance

    Finding space between doing and being, control and letting go, in both my life and art.

  • Compassion

    Art has the power to connect people with themselves, each other and the world. My work encourages this connection and fosters mindfulness, reflection and presence.

When I'm not making art

I’m likely to be running after my two young boys, dog and going on long walks, dreaming of the sea. Being outdoors brings with it that breathing space. Family is incredibly important and it was one of the turning points which made me leave my career and follow my dreams.

How it all began

I’ve always enjoyed being creative, music, art, graphics, woodworking, cooking, those were the things I couldn’t wait to try at school. Exciting visits to galleries, theatres and as I got older live music and gigs. I went to university to study Fine Art, dreaming of becoming an artist. I graduated with a first class honours degree, took part in group shows and started selling work. But then I stopped, not straight away, just gradually. Work life and my dream artist life didn’t quite match up.

I ended up working for an art gallery running their education department I gave art workshops and talks for adults and children and got awarded one of the top 5 friendly family museums in the UK. I learnt about hanging and framing art, how to handle art, how to keep things safe, how to talk about art. I met artists; hobbyists, amateur, and professionals, I even met royalty.

I realised that I wanted to reach people who didn’t access art through galleries or the normal means and that’s when I got a job working in Arts in Health. My proudest moment was organising an arts festival for the opening of a major new hospital. We had singers in waiting areas, poets writing with patients on wards, printmaking along the walk ways, knitting in the cafe, actors performing hospital staff stories.

Family life started and we moved back to our home town of Gloucester. I got a job working in a crafts centre organising classes and workshops. I adored meeting everyone, chatting and seeing what they had created. I really loved this job. But, although it meant that i was surrounded by creatives and I had always seen myself as being creative, ironically I wasn’t physically making art full time.
​
The turning point was when I lost my nan. We were incredibly close and I struggled to cope. I was given a journal. The journal said to set small goals. I decided to set the goal "be creative again". I picked up a paintbrush and just started documenting anything that inspired me. Immediately it helped, I felt so much happier when I was painting and just having fun making things.

When the pandemic hit, like most of us it became a time to reassess and altered perspectives. Work started getting in the way of family, my son started school and I promised a film night to celebrate his first week. I ended up losing track of time and once I got home he was in bed. I realised I wanted to spend more time with my family and I could achieve this by following my dream. So, I quit my steady income job and decided to focus on selling my art.

I've never looked back! I am now represented by a gallery, selected by British Brand exchange to be in John Lewis and have had the privilege to work on some amazing projects with the NHS.

Find out What I do

You've found out about me and why I paint. Click the button to found out what I do.

What I've done