Painting on canvas is one of my earliest and most sublime childhood memories. When I was asked by my family what I wanted to be when I grew up, without a blink, I replied “I want to be an artist”. I continued to paint and draw throughout my childhood into my teen years and earned my bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. I’ve had the privilege to teach Art at international, private and public schools for the past twenty years.
As an artist, I’ve always felt a natural pull toward painting, but in 2019, I took my first en plein air class with Mark Brown and knew I found my “home”. I am continuously captivated by Hawaii’s colors, movements, culture and energy. Every time I set up my easel at different locations around O’ahu, I listen to the land, and watch the interplay of sunlight, wind, clouds, and mountains with the ocean. I observe the similarities and contrasts, and within that range, how all the elements harmonize each other.
I love the challenge of painting quickly while outdoors as it forces me to go with my initial impression, rather than stumbling upon my thoughts or inhibitions. Despite intense heat, sudden rain and gusts of wind that kick sand up into my painting, there is a certain kind of grit and focus that shapes and forms my paintings. My intention is to paint through the lens of the feminine, capturing the soft and bright colors, graceful strength and tenderness of the land and ocean.
Contact
sandystevensart@gmail.com
(808) 223-3534
Hau’ula, Hawai’i
Commissions
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