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.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
I am a Glenview artist who began college studying medical illustration for 1 1/2 years. Being more fascinated with the science classes, I changed my major to nursing and received a BSN with a minor in art. After that career I studied with several artists in their studios but remain passionate about portraiture, figures, an portraying emotions. I have exhibited work in numerous group and solo shows locally and nationally, including Woman Made Gallery (IL), Open Space Gallery (PA), Lemon Street Gallery (WI), the Illinois Artisans Program (IL), the Northern National Art Competition at Nicolet College (WI), Chowan University (NC), Brubeck Art Gallery (IL), Marilyn Philby Gallery (IL), and the Glenview Public Library (IL).
I paint from life, photographs, or a combination of both. Preliminary studies for commissions are shared with the client to insure satisfaction with the finished painting.
© Sandy Sheagren