Traces of Nature

Born in 1954 in Hartford, Wisconsin, Sarah Van Beckum displayed an early interest in design and textiles. As a child, she would imagine fabric patterns in her head and then transfer them to paper. With the guidance of a renowned textile designer, Van Beckum’s skills in silkscreen printing developed quickly, becoming an integral source of all her future creative endeavors.

In addition to screen‐printing, Van Beckum’s artwork incorporates many creative skills that she has acquired throughout years of study in the United States, France and Mexico. This multicultural background gives a unique flavor to her artwork. Her professional work has varied from dressmaking and tailoring to teaching high school Spanish and French. Van Beckum’s collages consist of materials that she creates herself. She begins work by dying Goya rice paper, which is quite fibrous and will withstand dye baths without disintegrating. Then silk‐screens or stamp‐prints a variety of found objects to create background interest and texture. Collage, hand‐painting with gouache, and finally stitching with metallic threads constitute some of the final applications.

Van Beckum exhibits her work in galleries across the Unites States and Europe. Van Beckum’s work is displayed in many private and corporate collections nationally and internationally.