Other life experiences & projects that shaped me…

A small building under construction in a desert landscape with dry shrubs, a ladder on the side, and construction materials around.

From the high desert of New Mexico to the forests of Washington: Sarah gained direct experience in building cob structures and alternative dwellings. Expert in merging raw, local materials with structural durability.

A person in a dark jacket and jeans is picking up trash next to an old tire embedded in dirt, with several crushed and intact cans of beer or soda at the base of the tire.

Fusing fine art with alternative building. This earthen structure features a core of recycled cans—proving that high-efficiency insulation can be found, not just bought. A masterclass in low-impact, hand-built architecture, 2019.

A small house with a pointed roof is built over a creek in a dense forest of tall trees, with water flowing underneath and lush green foliage surrounding it.

Immersive study at Sun Ray Kelley’s homestead in Sedro-Woolley, WA. Lived within and studied his legendary hand-built earthen structures to understand the intersection of natural geometry and structural function.

Two people installing insulation or flooring in a room under construction or renovation, with exposed wooden framing and a small window.

Started in the trenches of custom professional shops in 2014; continuing today through high-impact volunteering. A decade-long commitment to mastering the tiny house shell, from high-end mountain retreats to rapid-response urban shelters.

Five diverse women standing inside a large beige tent, smiling at the camera. One woman raises her arm in excitement, and a table behind them is stocked with food and supplies.

Boots-on-the-ground building in the heart of Seattle. Volunteering with the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI) to turn raw lumber into dignified, code-compliant tiny homes on tight urban lots. High-speed, high-impact construction for the community.

A young woman sitting on a mat outdoors in a natural setting with dry ground, shrubs, and trees, during sunset.

Developing a 'leave-no-trace' mindset and technical grit through a year of backpacking and rock climbing across America. Resourceful, self-sufficient, and comfortable in any climate, 2015.

A colorful painting showing two people's heads partially submerged in water with only their eyes visible. The background features a sunset with mountains and a large orange sun reflected in the water.

Leveraging a BA in Arts to execute high-detail acrylic work and custom finishes. This experience in fine painting translates directly to the job site through precise color matching, meticulous surface prep, and a refined eye for aesthetic balance.

Colorful sign with the words 'The Feral Show' surrounded by lights, decorated with pink and green stripes, sitting on furniture inside a room.

Fusing fine art with event logistics. Sarah designs and hand-paints custom signage and sets, turning raw materials into immersive environments. Whether it’s branding for an event or a structural stage set, I build for the visual 'wow' factor and structural durability.

A colorful landscape painting in progress on a large canvas, featuring green trees, a yellow field, and a blue sky with clouds. The painting is set on a carpeted floor in a room, with art supplies, bottles, and brushes nearby, and household furniture in the background.

Solo-designed and executed large-scale signage, stage sets, and event décor. From concept sketches to the final brushstroke, Sarah manages the full production pipeline, delivering high-impact visual environments on tight turnaround times.

Three unfinished ceramic bowls on a pottery wheel in a ceramics studio, with pottery tools and a person working in the background.

Mastering the wheel: developed high-level hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness through hand-throwing ceramics. This practice reinforces the patience and precision required for fine-scale artisanal finishes and sculptural building.

A framed artwork of a woman figure in ice skates ice skating outdoors with trees and mountains in the background, rendered in a stylized, sketch-like manner.

Mastery of printmaking techniques: a study in layered logic and precision. This background informs Sarah’s ability to visualize complex assemblies and execute high-contrast, graphic designs across different media, from paper to wood.

A cluttered table with various printed graphics, papers, and small tools, where a group of people is working on a project involving printmaking or design, with some colored prints and sketches visible.

Turning festival-goers into makers. Developed a mobile, 'scrappy' curriculum for hand-carved relief printing, managing all materials and instruction for both children and adults. Proven ability to organize production spaces and lead groups through the technical 'carve-to-print' process.

A memorial display on a chain-link fence with a large photograph of a woman wearing a headscarf and painted face, a hanging light fixture, a handwritten sign with a list of questions and instructions, and a small container with hand sanitizer and a note requesting its use.

Concepted and led a collaborative public art piece during the height of the pandemic. Managed a lean budget and a team of four artists to design an interactive installation where anyone who walked by could tie scraps of cloth—inscribed with things they wished to release—to a public fence line. The project culminated in a ceremonial burning of the collective ‘scraps,’ merging community ritual with resourceful urban design.

Outdoor art display on a chain-link fence featuring photos and artwork of fire performances and fire dancing, decorated with white fabric strips and a hanging lantern.

Public collaborative art piece in Seattle, WA during 2020 pandemic.

A carving block of blue soap with intricate swirling patterns, a wooden-handled carving tool, scraps of soap shavings, and sketches of bones on paper.

Handmade stamp of poppy flowers.

A scuba diver swimming through a rocky underwater cave or crevice, surrounded by coral formations.

PADI Advanced SCUBA Diver with a history of navigating complex underwater terrain across the globe. Highly trained in gear-readiness and environmental awareness, with dives spanning from the Caribbean to the Red Sea.

Tourists walking in front of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt under a clear blue sky.

Global Influence & Fieldwork:

  • Middle East & Africa: Egypt, Turkey, Tanzania

  • Asia & Oceania: India, New Zealand

  • Europe: France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia

  • The Americas: Mexico, USA (Coast-to-Coast)

Two women hiking on a grassy trail on a mountain, with a forest, a large lake, and distant mountains in the background.

Au Pair nanny for a family of four in the French Alps. A year spent building independence and cross-cultural communication skills, 2014.