I haven’t done an artist spotlight in awhile…but I’ve been following the work of Sandra Busby for months. Naturally, I thought of her when I wanted to feature my next artist. She is a true inspiration. And in addition to being a wonderful artist, she is amazingly likable. She shares wonderful stories on her blog and is quite supportive as well. I have included some of her work in this post for your review. I’m sure you will just love her work…the first painting is a simple oil painting that she did in an hour and a half, which is simply awesome.
You can view her work at any of the following sites:
1. Tell us a little bit about how you got your start?
I used to draw all the time when I was little.
I’d make comic strips, draw people, make posters, collages… I would sometimes draw for hours!
But once I became a typical teenager and my brain had turned in to porridge, my life took me in other directions and unfortunately, I didn’t pick up a pencil again until I was 35! It was then that I realised how foolish I had been for not keeping it up.
A year later, armed only with a strong urge to draw, I enrolled on an Arts Foundation Course, which I did from home. I completed it within a year and it was probably the best thing I’d ever done where my art is concerned.
Having convinced my self that I needed an Arts Degree, I enrolled on to the second year.
But unlike the foundation course, I quickly began to feel as though I was being molded by the modern way of teaching. It seemed that nowadays, technique and skill came a very poor second to expression so I made the decision to withdraw.
That was probably the second best thing I’d ever done where my art is concerned!
Free to paint as I liked, I began to discover how ‘Sandra Busby’ paints and quickly began to realise my own style.
Of course there are pros and cons to both going to Art College and being self-taught. Having done a little of both, I only know which suited me.
2. What inspires you most?
Sometimes it can be a simple object which catches my eye. The inspiration for some of my glasses for example, came from simply un-loading the dishwasher! I had put some glasses on the side ready to put away and noticed their reflections on the shiny black surface of the worktops. I really wanted to re-create that in paint.
For my bears, my inspiration comes from atmosphere; A dimly lit room, a stack of dusty books, a vintage object…
But generally speaking, anything either light reflecting, or that is of some sentiment to me, inspires me to want to paint it.
I also find other art blogs to be a constant source of inspiration, not just because of the huge variety of art on show, but because of the endless encouragement and support I get from those people who leave comments on my own blog. It’s those comments that keep me motivated when things aren’t going well in my art studio!
3. Who are some of your favorite artists and why?
Ooh, now that’s a difficult one because I like so many! Turner, Monet… And of course I follow so many amazing Artists through my blog.
But if I had to choose my favourite famous, living Artist, it has to be Rolf Harris! He is 81 years old and very much alive! He was an all round television entertainer as I was growing up, but his main talent has always been painting.
I hope that he will one day be remembered as an ‘Old Master’ of the 20th – 21st century because, entertainment factor aside, he is an incredibly talented Artist.
4. Most of your work consists of teddy bears and glass, which I especially love. How did you choose your subject matter?
When I had left my course, the first thing I did was to write a list of things I wanted to paint.
Amongst my list were bubbles, glasses and marbles, but right at the top of the list was my Dad’s childhood bear.
I had always wanted to learn to paint with oils in the traditional way and had also wanted to paint a portrait of someone of importance, like the old masters used to.
But I wanted to inject my own personality in to the painting too, so instead of an actual person, I painted a portrait of Dad’s old bear, in a vintage style but with my own modern twist.
I enjoyed every brush stroke and so I decided to do an entire series, which I am part way through :0)
Apart from that, I generally choose subjects that I either have some sentiment to, or simply attracts me in some way – often by the way it reflects light.
5. What is your favorite medium?
For my large bear paintings, I use oils. I love their buttery consistency. I sometimes use acrylics, but mainly for smaller work. I
love that they dry so quickly and also
hate that they dry so quickly. Any Artist who has tried them will know exactly what I mean by that, lol!
I do dabble in watercolour from time to time and I plan do do more of that this year – but the short answer is oils. That is my first choice :0)
6. What advice do you have for other artists?
Paint and draw regularly and when you don’t have time to paint – sketch something.
Never give up! Treat every failure as a lesson that you would never have learned had you not made the mistake.
Draw inspiration from other Artists, but try not to be too heavily influenced – this way you will eventually find your own style.
And paint what you ‘want’ to paint – definitely not what you think you ‘should’ paint.
7. Describe yourself in five words.
Indecisive
Stubborn
Compassionate
Creative
Persistent
I want to thank Sandra for taking the time to answer my questions and I hope the rest of you enjoyed the interview. I know I did!
