Tina-Marie Sanford

Compulsion and yearning; the simple, yet, undeniable need to create; to have my hands gripping a pencil or paintbrush and moving over the fresh surface of paper and canvas. Feeling the flow and pleasure of mark making and the satisfying release of repetition in meditative motion. I draw and paint, because I must. Because the colors and textures beckon me like a siren’s call entices a sailor. Once in motion, my hands and eyes take over, and my conscious mind retreats, allowing my subconscious complete control like autopilot with only the ingrained elements of beauty and color to guide me. I swear sometimes I don’t even remember painting, almost like the painting just happened. It flows through me like a current through a conduit receiving and delivering a message. It has always been this way. From those early innocent creations of childhood, through my senior exit show in Drawing and Painting at the University of Georgia, to stolen moments of sanctuary in my studio away from my children.
Inspiration comes from life experiences, art history, other artists, nature, and pop-culture; boiled down and condensed into the basic elements of art and design. Regardless of subject; color, line and composition are key factors in my ar...

-In 1992 I graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting. There I was mentored and challenged by many teachers/artists such as, Scott Belville, Stefanie Jackson and Richard Olsen. I even had the pleasure and privilege of studying under the guest OP-Art painter, Charles Hinman. Trained in oil painting, I focused primarily on figure painting.
-A year later, in 1993, I returned to UGA and earned a Masters degree in Art Education. 
-1996 marked my first year teaching elementary school art in Gwinnett County.
-By 1999 I was the proud mother of a beautiful baby girl. I chose to stop teaching and stay home to raise a family. Up to this point I was still painting in all my spare time, well that came to a screeching halt!
-In the early days after college I had a few small art shows, but soon the demand of teaching, and then family, overshadowed my pursuit of painting.
-Fast forward three children and 14 years… During this time I continued to experiment and learn new mediums and art forms; from acrylics and murals to hyper photo-realistic graphite portraiture and jewelry making. My creations were either sold or given away to friends and family.
-2013-Present: With renewed vigor, I have ...