Sandra Pratt

My approach to making art is guided by intuition and intense observation of the subject. The act of painting releases a stream of consciousness and creative energy that reveals my view of reality. The tension between visual perception and engaging with the paint itself guides my process. It straddles the line between realism and abstraction. Painting leaves a record of my experience. It is my most poignant and genuine means of expression.”

I enjoy using a palette knife for the immediate bold statement it offers. I started painting as a young child and studied for a while at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago but ultimately decided to be a self-taught artist, My style of painting is abstract impressionism. I work Alla Prima, wet into wet, not reworking a picture that has dried. I started using the palette knife to do color charts, then kept using it for immediate effects and fun texture. The challenge is making the whole painting cohesive enough in a single session, which can be a fun challenge working big!. I paint intuitively, and I enjoy painting landscapes best, scenes all people can relate to at a fundamental level, green fields in Ireland, Paris alleys, and little white barns.