Process

Sandi's work is multilayered, involving resists, thickened dyes, natural plant material, silk and acrylic. For the under layer, textures are created by filling silk screens with thickened dyes, which are imprinted with cross sections of plant material or hand made textures rolled into the dye.  After drying, print paste is run through the screen, which breaks down the dye and produces new intriguing patterns with each run.  These patterns are adapted via the computer for each painting.

Cross sections of bamboo.

Textures from hand made roller.

Adding print paste to break down the dye.

Silk fiber, naturally translucent and iridescent, forms the upper layer. Sandi draws her patterns by hand or via the computer.  She creates barrier outlines on the silk with gutta resists, then applies liquid acrylic in hundreds of shades, continuously choosing color balance and subtle variations in hue and intensity.

Drawing "Orange Poppies".

Drawing resist lines on silk.

Half painted "Orange Poppies".

 An avid traveler and scuba diver, Sandi finds inspiration in all forms of nature, from sea life to rain forests. Through many drawings, Sandi works to capture her emotional memory of a visual experience rather than a literal rendering of the scene. The result is a unique illustrative image that plays with the boundaries of reality.