For Sarah Sulman, art is a much-needed escape.
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The 27-year-old is daily faced with the hardship of the ongoing drought on her family's farm, Janango, at Breeza and art has become a way of taking time out from the gruelling pace.
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Sarah grew up in Tamworth and spent her weekends on her grandparents' sheep farm until she headed off to the University of Armidale to study teaching.
When her grandfather was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago, she found herself driving between Armidale and Breeza to help out. Her grandfather wound up in hospital and her dad was working out Boggabri at the time so her mum was trying to run the farm in their absence but struggled to cope and suffered from mental health issues.
It was at this point that Sarah decided to "pack up everything and move out to the farm", doing up a 100-year-old cottage room by room to make it "livable".
Sarah said she had always painted throughout her life but found herself painting more and more to cope with everything.
"I really picked it up I left uni and Mum was really sick," Sarah said.
"I just spent the nights painting."
Sarah said when she paints "it makes it brighter" and paintings "affect people - how they think and react".
I'm creative - it's what I need.
- Sarah Sulman
As art became an intrinsic part of Sarah's life, she started to share why she invested so much time in it.
"Once Mum got sick, it opened the conversation," she said.
"I didn't realise so many people had been affected by mental health issues."
That same year, Sarah took her grandfather to Newcastle for an appointment, she went to the beach where she met a graffiti artist who painted large-scale murals.
"He used to take me around the streets and show the different aspects of [graffiti art]. Since then, I remember sitting at the table about an hour after I met him, thinking, 'I'm meant to meet this person' … and that's where the love of street art and murals came from," she said.
"It was fascinating how he opened up to the surroundings … When you start looking around, there's art everywhere."
The third-generation farmer loves to be outdoors and draws inspiration from the farm, painting native Australian animals and flowers in vibrant colours.
"I've got such an identity wrapped up in the farm," Sarah said.
"I hate being inside. That's one thing I don't like about teaching."
Even when she travels, she likes to keep a visual reminder of what she has seen, and has an "art diary" detailing her trip around Australia last year.
Sarah said her farm cottage was "full of canvases" and she was brimming with ideas.
"I annoy myself because I start painting and get about 80 per cent and think 'Oh, that's a good idea' and start a new painting," she said.
"I'm doing a series of birds at the moment but only one is complete because I get excited to do the next one.
"I'm trying to get my own recognisable style."
Sarah's father is now full-time on the farm and she has taken a step back to teach at schools around the district.
She is still fitting in farm work and painting and photography when she can but would like to put teaching aside and focus on developing an art business.
"I have no energy to do my art at the end of the day when I'm working full-time," Sarah said.
"I'm creative - it's what I need."
Sarah said her boyfriend Hamish was a constant source of encouragement as she pursued her passion for art and she is undertaking a short start-up business course in a bid to progress her dream.
"I want to start [a business] online and see where it goes," Sarah said.
"If Ken Dunn can do it, there's no reason I can't."
