About Sandra's Art and Photography
Inspired by a love of nature and extensive travels to Europe, especially Italy, Arizona artist Sandra Marshall draws from a plethora of stored mental images she has captured over the years. Sandra's main focus is on contemporary botanical paintings – creating sought-after works of art that offer unique color combinations that are exquisitely rich and harmonious. Her flowers are rendered in rhythmic, organic compositions in rich oils, and mixed media on canvas. Her love for music is often depicted in her paintings with her botanicals that she has often been told look like they are dancing, and have a musical quality. Her awareness of rhythm and balance helps her to create fun energy that helps to convey the beauty all around her.
Early on, Sandra showed a talent and love of color and art and always drew or painted -- receiving accolades from teachers and others who saw her work. After studying color, and painting in her early years in a private art institute with Jean Fitzhenry, she became accomplished in a variety of media including oils, pastels, acrylic and mixed media and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education with an emphasis in Art Education/Painting. A New York native, Sandra is a master colorist and attributes her passion to childhood trips into New York City to visit the museums, and galleries. Sandra's Mom, an accomplished wildlife photographer and gardener, who always had an eye for composition, was a big influence in Sandra's love for nature and flowers. She also worked as an art director for 3-Ball Productions in Hollywood in addition to painting backdrops for the Disney Channel and working on set designs. Before marrying and starting a family back in the states, Sandra studied art in Italy, which led to co-creating an inventive company in Italy called “Porta a Porta”, which means door to door in Italian. Sandra would bring aspiring artists from the United States and fly them to Italy and while under her instruction, the students would learn to paint as they were surrounded by the stunning Tuscan Hillsides.
She also worked as an art director for 3-Ball Productions in Hollywood in addition to painting backdrops for the Disney Channel and working on set designs. Before marrying and starting a family back in the states, Sandra studied art in Italy, which led to co-creating an inventive company in Italy called “Porta a Porta”, which means door to door in Italian. Sandra would bring aspiring artists from the United States and fly them to Italy and while under her instruction, the students would learn to paint as they were surrounded by the stunning Tuscan Hillsides.
Sandra has used her combination of color mastery, painting and teaching skills to design a career that has been immensely satisfying for both herself and her clients. In addition to her works of art that she continues to push the boundaries of color and beauty, Sandra volunteers in schools with her successful “I Draw, You Draw program. Says Sandra,” My mind is constantly coming up new designs and ideas of things to paint and I enjoy sharing that enthusiasm with my students. The excitement of each new painting is like taking a voyage to an unknown place – the anticipation, exploration and the journey --- I can’t get enough!
Many of you know me as Sandy the painter, but I’m also a photographer. Like painting, photography has been a passion of mine since I was young, though photography as an art form has come a long way since my high school dark room. I learned much of my modern techniques from my mother, a professional wildlife photographer in Long Island whose photographs have been featured on the cover of National Wildlife Magazine, among others. But while wildlife has been my mother’s inspiration, people have been mine.
I first started professional photography to augment my painting, taking pictures of people and scenes from different angles and lighting to capture the subject for reference while painting my subjects.
I taught painting in Tuscany, Italy and used my photos to help students see compositions that stand out for their paintings. I use it in my classes today for references. Photography to me, is an artistic endeavor that not only encompasses good lighting, color and design, it is a mission to capture a moment that is REAL. It is about a STORY. Only you know your story, and I would LOVE to hear it. A family portrait to me is meeting you at one of your favorite places and planning out what you DO as a family, and capturing THAT moment however we can. If your little two year old has a raggy old bunny and a binky, I want to see that. To me, that is what is beautiful. Better yet, if she LOVES pink ice cream, and holds her bunny with her binky close by, I want that in the photo with a messy face because at her age, that is WHO she is. I like to keep it real. I want to tell her story at that age. School pictures are for the fakey smile, and pretty clothes (: (There is a place for those as well, and my mother told me to ALWAYS buy them!) I want a moment that will make your heart stop for a moment ten years from now. A moment where you look back at photo of Grandma dusting her Hummels because she is so proud that she will hand them down to you. A moment where your little guy is playing matchbox cars and is so focused and close up, that you feel like you are there again watching him on the ground. I get on the ground. I get dirty to get the right photo. If you child is not in the mood, I come back until he is. I want him to tell me his story. I want to eat chocolate chip cookies with him if that is his thing. (I taught kindergarten for a year before pursuing my art full time, and LOVE little people!)
If your husband and your son play a mean game of chess, by all means, that is the picture for me to compose. I want to capture them in a competitive, fun fashion that captures that moment FOREVER. I don’t want them smiling at me. I want them smiling at each other.
You say... Gee, I have no hobbies. Hmmmm Well, do you LOVE your coffee, your wine? Do you just like to hang out cozy at home? No worries here. You bet your bundles I could turn this into the most artistic photo you could dream of! Here’s one for you ladies... Love Sunday mornings in your bathrobe drinking coffee? That is your thing? I could call that a ‘habit’ pic instead of a hobby pic. Let’s get you drinking your coffee in pretty bathrobe, and give your husband another reason to cozy up on Sunday.
I live and dream art. If you dream it, I could paint it, draw it or photograph it. If you CAN’T dream it, let me dream it for you and make it a reality. It is what I love to do.
Early on, Sandra showed a talent and love of color and art and always drew or painted -- receiving accolades from teachers and others who saw her work. After studying color, and painting in her early years in a private art institute with Jean Fitzhenry, she became accomplished in a variety of media including oils, pastels, acrylic and mixed media and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education with an emphasis in Art Education/Painting. A New York native, Sandra is a master colorist and attributes her passion to childhood trips into New York City to visit the museums, and galleries. Sandra's Mom, an accomplished wildlife photographer and gardener, who always had an eye for composition, was a big influence in Sandra's love for nature and flowers. She also worked as an art director for 3-Ball Productions in Hollywood in addition to painting backdrops for the Disney Channel and working on set designs. Before marrying and starting a family back in the states, Sandra studied art in Italy, which led to co-creating an inventive company in Italy called “Porta a Porta”, which means door to door in Italian. Sandra would bring aspiring artists from the United States and fly them to Italy and while under her instruction, the students would learn to paint as they were surrounded by the stunning Tuscan Hillsides.
She also worked as an art director for 3-Ball Productions in Hollywood in addition to painting backdrops for the Disney Channel and working on set designs. Before marrying and starting a family back in the states, Sandra studied art in Italy, which led to co-creating an inventive company in Italy called “Porta a Porta”, which means door to door in Italian. Sandra would bring aspiring artists from the United States and fly them to Italy and while under her instruction, the students would learn to paint as they were surrounded by the stunning Tuscan Hillsides.
Sandra has used her combination of color mastery, painting and teaching skills to design a career that has been immensely satisfying for both herself and her clients. In addition to her works of art that she continues to push the boundaries of color and beauty, Sandra volunteers in schools with her successful “I Draw, You Draw program. Says Sandra,” My mind is constantly coming up new designs and ideas of things to paint and I enjoy sharing that enthusiasm with my students. The excitement of each new painting is like taking a voyage to an unknown place – the anticipation, exploration and the journey --- I can’t get enough!
Many of you know me as Sandy the painter, but I’m also a photographer. Like painting, photography has been a passion of mine since I was young, though photography as an art form has come a long way since my high school dark room. I learned much of my modern techniques from my mother, a professional wildlife photographer in Long Island whose photographs have been featured on the cover of National Wildlife Magazine, among others. But while wildlife has been my mother’s inspiration, people have been mine.
I first started professional photography to augment my painting, taking pictures of people and scenes from different angles and lighting to capture the subject for reference while painting my subjects.
I taught painting in Tuscany, Italy and used my photos to help students see compositions that stand out for their paintings. I use it in my classes today for references. Photography to me, is an artistic endeavor that not only encompasses good lighting, color and design, it is a mission to capture a moment that is REAL. It is about a STORY. Only you know your story, and I would LOVE to hear it. A family portrait to me is meeting you at one of your favorite places and planning out what you DO as a family, and capturing THAT moment however we can. If your little two year old has a raggy old bunny and a binky, I want to see that. To me, that is what is beautiful. Better yet, if she LOVES pink ice cream, and holds her bunny with her binky close by, I want that in the photo with a messy face because at her age, that is WHO she is. I like to keep it real. I want to tell her story at that age. School pictures are for the fakey smile, and pretty clothes (: (There is a place for those as well, and my mother told me to ALWAYS buy them!) I want a moment that will make your heart stop for a moment ten years from now. A moment where you look back at photo of Grandma dusting her Hummels because she is so proud that she will hand them down to you. A moment where your little guy is playing matchbox cars and is so focused and close up, that you feel like you are there again watching him on the ground. I get on the ground. I get dirty to get the right photo. If you child is not in the mood, I come back until he is. I want him to tell me his story. I want to eat chocolate chip cookies with him if that is his thing. (I taught kindergarten for a year before pursuing my art full time, and LOVE little people!)
If your husband and your son play a mean game of chess, by all means, that is the picture for me to compose. I want to capture them in a competitive, fun fashion that captures that moment FOREVER. I don’t want them smiling at me. I want them smiling at each other.
You say... Gee, I have no hobbies. Hmmmm Well, do you LOVE your coffee, your wine? Do you just like to hang out cozy at home? No worries here. You bet your bundles I could turn this into the most artistic photo you could dream of! Here’s one for you ladies... Love Sunday mornings in your bathrobe drinking coffee? That is your thing? I could call that a ‘habit’ pic instead of a hobby pic. Let’s get you drinking your coffee in pretty bathrobe, and give your husband another reason to cozy up on Sunday.
I live and dream art. If you dream it, I could paint it, draw it or photograph it. If you CAN’T dream it, let me dream it for you and make it a reality. It is what I love to do.
