“Growing up, I went to art school in Italy,” Sara says. “It felt like the right path for me to undertake, and through the years I pushed myself to try different things; I would find myself at events drawing on walls or floors, other times I would be at home testing lino printing using a DIY device made from an olive press. I’d even try painting on T-shirts or home-printing personalised stickers to stick everywhere. At the time I couldn’t figure out a specific definition of what I wanted to do, but nowadays I feel that the best way to explain it is that I love to work as a visual communicator. So here I am.”
How did you join Raspberry Pi?
At the end of 2021 I was submitting my final major project for an illustration MA at Falmouth University. In January I was ready to get back into the creative industry, so I began looking for job vacancies when I came across to a catchy one on LinkedIn. In a series of paragraphs, I saw described what I enjoy doing, and I applied for it straight away. The interview was great and I remember coming back home very enthusiastic about it.
What Raspberry Pi design stuff have you worked on?
I’m lucky enough to be in a place where projects vary, and the nice part is that depending on the scale of them I might be working on my own or with the skillset of my colleagues. So far I’ve worked on a variety of projects of different scales, such as packaging design, visual communication for events and related merch, design layout for case studies, books, flyers, brochures and now magazines!
Have you made anything with a Raspberry Pi, or have any plans to?
I’d never done any coding before joining Raspberry Pi, so I’m still in a phase of learning while watching [my partner] doing some small home projects. Last year I participated in a couple of workshops on using Pico on a breadboard, and learned how to turn on some LEDs!
In regards to future plans… I have an idea for creating something that involves my artwork, like a sort of flipping book installation, or a projected animated GIF, but I need to define the idea first and understand how to use Raspberry Pi with it.
What other hobbies do you have?
I love creating bodies of work that mix illustration with fine art, along with testing new materials and techniques. I usually do this at the studio space I share with other creatives in the heart of Cambridge. I enjoy going there to meet them for a coffee or to chat about what they’re up to. Sometimes we organise open studios or small exhibitions next door.
Recently I also started to explore working with ceramics, and how to bring out the personal artwork in such tactile material.
