ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a visual artist who has been drawing, painting, and writing since childhood. Although I paint a variety of subjects, I have a special interest in portraiture and the figure. At a young age, I developed a fascination for anatomy and the human body from the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. A career in nursing and some study of medical illustration give me a knowledge base from which to work.
In addition to rendering a likeness, I am particularly interested in how posture, body language, and color contribute to establishing a mood or feeling. Whether I capture the mood of the subject or my own mood, I want to validate the range of human emotions and how our bodies give messages about where our feelings lie.
This body of work was inspired by photographs taken by friends and family who are involved with mission trips to Haiti through a non-profit group Little by Little. I am drawn to paint them partly from the stories of patience and endurance I’ve heard from those who’ve made the trip and partly because of the innocence I see in the eyes of the children. Gold leaf is applied to add an angelic quality and sense of radiance. I am unable to make the trip to Haiti myself and want to document their mission and story through my paintings. [20% of sales of these paintings is donated to Little by Little].
ABOUT THE ARTIST
I am a visual artist living in Glenview, IL. I have a BSN with a minor in art from U of I and began studying portraiture in the studios of individual artists after retiring from nursing. I have exhibited work in Chicago area group shows as well as at Lemon Street Gallery and Nicolet College in WI, and in Allentown, PA. I’ve had solo shows in Mt. Carmel, IL, at Journey Care (“Sunrise: Sunset”) in Glenview, IL, and most recently at the Glenview Public Library (“Mysterious and Ordinary Women” and “Movement and Flow “). With a keen interest in anatomy and images from Trifecta Dance Collective’s photographer, I was able to create the paintings for the Movement and Flow exhibit. I exhibit regularly with the Glenview Art League and continue as a board member of that organization.
© Sandy Sheagren