We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sandra Whitby Artist. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sandra Whitby below.
Sandra Whitby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
The mission is personal for me. I’ve learned, through my art making, an understanding of who I am… not only as an artist, but also a person. I feel that the more I understand and accept myself, the more I accept others. It in-turn creates a wholehearted life to enjoy and inspire.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
After spending years as a graphic designer creating everything from logos to annual reports, I wanted to get back to fine art. In art school and college I was encouraged to use what I learned for a career in the arts – but instead I found work in graphic design… so later when the opportunity arose to take painting classes with a local master painter, Alberto Mijangos, I took the leap. That was 23 years ago and I’ve been thankful ever since. When I started painting again, I realized what a gift it was. Since I paint non- objective works, a lot of what you see is my internal landscape, emotions, and aesthetic view of the world. With graphic design, there are clients to please and myriad details and specifications to follow. In my art practice, I leave that all behind and try to focus only on what pleases me – to the point of seeing if I can surprise myself in the process.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
An important lesson I learned in the beginning years of my practice involved standing up and owning my work. Many times during that early time, advice was given freely… sometimes positive, sometimes not. Either way, it encourages thinking about pleasing others instead of digging deep to who you are as an artist. after some tears brought on by what someone said, I had “an Aha moment”. Instead of feeling broken, I felt resolute in making sure I was in charge of what my paintings became. It was also my responsibility to check in with myself to make sure I listened to my inner voice.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Growth is my primary goal driving my creative journey. For me, the act of creating is about the energy of discovery. In the process of painting, I want to go further, see how different materials interact together, and challenge myself. I feel like I am solving a problem while I’m working, ie, not enough line work, too heavy looking here, too much information there. It’s all part of what happens in abstract painting – thrown in with intuition and inner energy. Secondly, I feel that my painting practice has allowed me to express who I am – and hopefully in the process touch someone else’s inner self.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sandywhitby.com
- Instagram: @sandywhitby
Image Credits
Sandy Whitby