Artist statement by Sandra Dingée
I love to look, always have and get engrossed seeing something special. A friend said “You know how a tree is just a tree? “No" I responded, "you are talking to someone who could stare at a tree for hours” To me a tree is not just a tree. When I went to the sporting events in High School I wanted to learn anatomy. The bones and structure of the human body fascinates me, the way we move, gesture and smile, unique.
With my love of color and drawing, I work in most mediums and many subjects, anything that catches my eye: color, light, structure, tone. I am also a gardener, a friend said “Oh! Now you are painting with flowers.” Inspiration is cultivated by bringing home bouquets and taking the time to look at something intriguing, allowing time to smell the roses. I am a published photographer as well as Illustrator, sign letterer and enjoy working with a brush. I love most music, especially Rock and Roll & the Blues. I like bold unmistakable images even in an abstract. My favorite mediums are pencil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic paint and cut paper. I would love to get back into lithography, my favorite of the printing mediums maybe I am dating myself by saying both lettering and lithography have basically become dieing arts, for what ever reason printing presses, computers, they both are becoming obsolete.
Finding the time I gather my ideas and start by laying out the drawing or painting including a square around my page. Working on several pieces of art in one day, the stages of each design are staggered for weeks if necessary. When I find nothing else I want to see. I sign it. Not everything is finished in a specific time frame. The larger the piece the longer it will take, it also depends on the medium. If I have to work from photographs, many hours are spent researching and gathering visual material to work from as many as possible for reference, this makes it an original piece of art, not a copy of a photograph. I like loose, large, well executed and meaningful work.
My first thought was to make a career in art and I attended Montserrat College of Art, Beverly Ma 1976-1980. I learned how to draw and that it can be difficult to make a living as an artist. I became familiar with reproducing art, and other venues for my illustrations. Friends and I created a 10’ x 8’ ice sculpture a fully rigged sailing vessel, won awards first and second place for a 10’ papier-mâché sea serpent, first place for a sandcastle. I’ve been to the folk festival with a press pass a couple of times, owned a gift shop in Maine. Completed additional course work at various art associations and schools, attend drawing groups as much as possible. I have designed: brochures, books, tee shirts, greeting cards, lettered boats and signs and my gardens give me a feeling of success. I worked for Narragansett Electric creating a coloring book of Lucy and Lester Light Bulb. That was neat. I had to think like a light bulb. I lettered a dinghy named “Thinghy.” Most artists are passionate, involved & easily consumed. I am a happy person doing what I love best, always looking and seeing. The years have passed, the skills improved and opportunities are around the corner. I guess I am not your average artist. I am as unique as I hope my artwork to be. Thanks for visiting.
Sandy