A mini Biography from Sarah's published catalog of paintings by Margo
February 18, 2021
Mary Allison Sarah Pullen was born on November 17, 1937, the third child of
Lieutenant H. F. Pullen and his wife, Helen McKean Pullen. At the time of
Sarah’s birth, the Pullens were stationed with the Canadian navy in Malta.
Sarah grew up in Halifax, Ottawa, and Esquimalt, frequently crossing the country by train with her mother and numerous siblings. Sarah’s early explorations in art took place at the Halifax Ladies College. Shortly after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from UBC in the spring of 1957, she married Vancouver lawyer Brian McLoughlin.
While her children were young, Sarah attended Saturday morning classes at the Vancouver Art Gallery where she studied with many luminaries from the Vancouver art scene, including Toni Onley, Joe Plaskett, and Doris Shadbolt. In the 1950’s, Sarah began painting landscapes and cityscapes, producing a significant amount of work between 1960 and 1985. Her paintings were exhibited at galleries in the Lower Mainland, including the Faculty Club at UBC, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and the Burnaby Art Gallery.
Painting was only the beginning, however, of Sarah’s artistic life. In the logged-over landscape of the “farm” in Merville, Sarah created a deer-resistant, drought- tolerant, seaside garden. She also took up nut farming. Growing an orchard of filbert trees engaged both Sarah and Brian in creative problem solving, which ultimately led to their decision to gift the property to the Comox Valley Regional District.
During the winter months, when there was little to do in the way of pruning, mulching or harvesting, Sarah began making miniature furniture. Her father, Rear Admiral Pullen, created model sailing ships, based on Nova Scotia schooners. (Many of these finely crafted models are still on display at the Maritime Museum in Halifax.) Inspired by her father, Sarah took on the challenge of recreating, to scale, the kind of furniture that might have been part of the daily of life of various ancestors in New England, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia and across the Atlantic in England, Ireland, Wales, and France. Painting, gardening, farming, making miniature furniture, family history research, designing a house—in each endeavour, Sarah dedicated herself to learning her craft, exploring and pursuing her creative vision.
Sarah grew up in Halifax, Ottawa, and Esquimalt, frequently crossing the country by train with her mother and numerous siblings. Sarah’s early explorations in art took place at the Halifax Ladies College. Shortly after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from UBC in the spring of 1957, she married Vancouver lawyer Brian McLoughlin.
While her children were young, Sarah attended Saturday morning classes at the Vancouver Art Gallery where she studied with many luminaries from the Vancouver art scene, including Toni Onley, Joe Plaskett, and Doris Shadbolt. In the 1950’s, Sarah began painting landscapes and cityscapes, producing a significant amount of work between 1960 and 1985. Her paintings were exhibited at galleries in the Lower Mainland, including the Faculty Club at UBC, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and the Burnaby Art Gallery.
Painting was only the beginning, however, of Sarah’s artistic life. In the logged-over landscape of the “farm” in Merville, Sarah created a deer-resistant, drought- tolerant, seaside garden. She also took up nut farming. Growing an orchard of filbert trees engaged both Sarah and Brian in creative problem solving, which ultimately led to their decision to gift the property to the Comox Valley Regional District.
During the winter months, when there was little to do in the way of pruning, mulching or harvesting, Sarah began making miniature furniture. Her father, Rear Admiral Pullen, created model sailing ships, based on Nova Scotia schooners. (Many of these finely crafted models are still on display at the Maritime Museum in Halifax.) Inspired by her father, Sarah took on the challenge of recreating, to scale, the kind of furniture that might have been part of the daily of life of various ancestors in New England, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia and across the Atlantic in England, Ireland, Wales, and France. Painting, gardening, farming, making miniature furniture, family history research, designing a house—in each endeavour, Sarah dedicated herself to learning her craft, exploring and pursuing her creative vision.