Born in High Point, North Carolina in 1980, Sarah Atkinson grew up in a rural farming community. Surrounded by the beauty of nature and secluded by land, she developed a love for painting at a very young age.

Her father, also an artist, encouraged her to pursue her passion. She spent much of her childhood in his studio painting at his side.

Sarah went on to study fine arts at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Here she developed a deep interest in figural studies and began to cultivate her contextual style of painting.