[2] She suffered from poor health; consequently, to provide her with some occupation, Blinn asked her to illustrate native plants for the creation of a textbook to be used in the village school, a task which necessitated her spending much time outdoors in the area surrounding the community.
Under Blinn's direction she produced two botanical journals in 1886 and 1887, in which she depicted the flora of the neighborhood in watercolor.
[1] Sarle went on to a prolific artistic career, which she used as a means of earning money for the Canterbury community.
[4] Most of her surviving works are postcard-sized depictions of the Canterbury meetinghouse, which were sold in the community store.
[5] By the later part of her career, around 1920, the traditional Shaker proscription on decorative ornamentation had begun to relax; consequently, she began to decorate more utilitarian objects for use within the community, including ceiling light globes, an umbrella stand, and a variety of boxes.