A magical place full of big petticoats, happiness, My Little Pony, peppermint tea and Brighton beach, you are welcomed into Sarah’s World but only if you “are nice & like to skip”. Sarah Walpole is a maker of little things with big feelings, her main creations being artwork and Nice things by Topsy, her clothing range.
“Why shouldn’t you put pink with red?” asks Sarah, as breaking the rules is the ethos behind Nice things by Topsy, clothes made from recycled donations from friends or charity shop finds. Mixing patterns, colours and textures and creating something new from tired items, the range is bright and vivacious. This represents Sarah’s playful side, nicknamed ‘Topsy’ by her dad as a child for her love of the Topsy & Tim books, and allows a different sort of outlet, a physical product. These are purely aesthetic and a way of being creative and productive 
without the emotional attachment held with her art. Furthermore, having this materialistic release has allowed Sarah’s art to develop, becoming more delicate.
Sarah is influenced by amazing women including Vivienne Westwood and Tracey Emin, and shares Emin’s view that art is autobiographical, a piece of oneself. Using mixed media, the pieces are emotional and her background studying Art and Psychology shines through. Explaining how texture is usually the origin of the paintings, Sarah says she begins with “the gnarls in the wood, pulled threads in the cotton… but almost all of the time, I am trying to express a thought or happening”. Titles such as ‘Surviving Edith’ and ‘full up in love’ allow you 
to associate with the given emotion even more and penetrate the message further.
Another area of Sarah’s World is her merchandising position at New Look. Approaching this like a painting, considering composition and colour, Sarah laughs revealing that her ‘odd’ taste works especially well, resulting in eye catching window displays.
How lovely it was to be allowed an insight into this enchanting place, Sarah’s future plans are to continue creating, drawing influences from and appreciating everyday tasks and enjoying life!
Nice things by Topsy is available exclusively from Oxfam, North St., or alternatively visit Sarah by appointment to her North Laine studio, see www.sarahwalpole.co.uk for more details.
By Lucy Popps
