I’ve never NOT been an artist.

Or maybe I should say "artistic," or creative, or a f*@!ing genius.

But, not in the usual, prescribed way, the educational way or the professional way.

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I’ve studied, practiced, perfected, played, dabbled, experimented — all of it outside the “regular” art world.

My first degree is in Psychology. I worked in Nonprofit for most of my career.

 

What I know about ART is that I don't know anything. Except how to make what I make, the way I make it and hope it finds the person who has to own it forever.

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Little Sandhi played the piano [perfect pitch discovered at 4]. Took ballet, made puppets and learned to paint with oils. And sewed clothes for Barbie. Both of my parents were extremely talented artists in their own rights.

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Slightly older Sandhi ditched the classics to play rock music. Learned how to do needlework. Switched to drawing shoes and dresses. My drugs of choice were art galleries and museums. 

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Teen/young adult Sandhi went to college for oceanography but degreed in psychology. Because I discovered I am “gifted” with Eidetic Imagery. I was a “guinea pig” [studied] and a paper outlining my case was presented at the APA. by Dr. Michael Siegel. And acted in plays. And painted in acrylics.

 

After college, my MFA career careened into a ditch. I could not select a discipline. I dabbled in Pottery, Textile Design, Jewelry, Metal Work, anything but painting.

 

As an adult, I had many careers. Portrait Painter, Designer of Needlepoint. Designer of T-shirts. Maker of Jewelry, Visual Merchandiser, Set Designer, Florist, Marketing Director, Creative Director, Corporate communications, Chief Information Officer…and then "Artist."

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My mind and imagination are very active. I research. I continue to learn. I talk too much, but not when I am creating. Thoughts, ideas, memories, dreams and concepts fire synapses in my brain…which end up on canvas. Or anything else that isn't glued down.

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I select images that speak to me from their eyes. I react to their imaginary being. I draw, paint and cover the painting in paper. I’ve been doing this so long, I don’t have to think about it, I’m in that flow. As I work, I improvise. I am not attached to any outcome, therefore, I am free to change anything while I work. I’m not “finished” until I’m finished. I am usually deeply in love with my work, and emotionally connected. If I don’t like something, I will rip it apart and change it. 

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Some are loose, some are tightly controlled. There is texture, structure, color. Everything I create reflects a time and place in my life. I have lived in many states, have traveled extensively in a physical and in a spiritual sense.

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The women or men I “paint” are a cast of characters in a movie that will never be made. They all have a back-story. And theme music. The abstracts are sparked by a time or place, or a dream. I constantly experiment and grow. I am not tied to any particular thing. Whether I paint or braid old shirts or glue old jewelry on a frame, or string beads… it’s all the same to me. But nothing is the same. I don’t repeat myself. 

 

All of the work here is for sale. Please email me at artist@schimmelart.com to inquire about pricing.