Sandra Small

Text Box: As a child, my primary interests were art and music. Unfortunately, neither of those subjects was viewed as central to a “real” profession by my conservative family, so I eventually became a psychologist. (While this wasn’t considered “real” either, it was certainly preferable to art or music in my parents’ eyes.) Creative expression was encouraged during my formative years; however, I fear my limits went well beyond those of many adults. I enjoyed a long and satisfying career as a psychotherapist and university professor in the U.S. and abroad. The experiences enabled me time to learn about others’ perspectives and to absorb the sights, sounds and smells of unfamiliar places; those memories now provide the starting point for much of my work. During the years when I was pursuing my career I studied drawing, textile design and color theory at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and other institutions. With retirement came the opportunity to change priorities and the time to pursue art in a more focused manner. I have studied painting privately with Steve Jenkins in Cincinnati and with Michael McGuire in New Mexico.

Sandra Small - 124 Pike St. - Sandra Small Gallery

www.SandraSmallArt.com

THE ARTIST’S STATEMENT

My life tapestry has been woven over six decades and provides an endless tableau from which my creativity draws its energy. Extensive formal education, far-ranging travel, and professional work with families and individuals have honed the skills of introspection and observation. It is also fortuitous that as a young child I was surrounded by good design in even the smallest details, such as the arrangement of food on a plate, beautiful paintings and handmade decorative objects from around the world. These influences seamlessly inform my perception and attention in the present.

I work intuitively, trying not to focus on the formal elements of design. When I begin a new piece, I meditate on a place or experience which has been meaningful to me and then I allow the work to flow. I do not know where a piece is going when I begin, which adds to my sense of adventure and enjoyment. Sometimes I am startled by my own emotional response to a work in progress.

The work emerges through the interplay of opposites, surfaces, textures, and light. It is about absorption, reflection, and context—the “stuff” of life. This is best exemplified in the encaustic (wax) and sewn pieces. Edges create visual interest as well as speak to the issues of limits and reciprocity. In each piece I incorporate layers of color, texture and movement so that, over time, the observer is stimulated to experience new and more personally relevant understandings. The work thus becomes a continuing dialogue between artist and observer.

Using combinations of unexpected materials in my mixed media pieces is a statement of my deeply held belief that the possibility of beauty exists in everything and there is no “real” difference between what we generally keep and what we discard. By using materials in an unexpected way they become more interesting and are experienced as of different value. Not only is the whole greater than the sum of its parts; each part is a story untold…a door to be opened.