Sandra Stowell

Sandra Stowell

Port Townsend, WA, United States

About Sandra Stowell

Obsessed with making: Following a 20+ year career in computing, I turned to art full time, moved from the city (Seattle, WA) to a cohousing community in the idyllic small town of Port Townsend, WA. I have a particular interest in sculpture, assembly, and collage. I draw, paint, and dabble in printmaking. I work with a wide variety of media. I don't go far without pencils, & use pastels, watercolors, inks, epoxy resins, wood, stone, and much more. My original work is often transformed & reused in both physical and digital collage; I use a computer, scanner and archival ink jet printer as artists tools to modify and create new work. I especially enjoy layering and combining in print making and collage. I appreciate the element of surprise, so rarely make detailed plans. I try to balance a need for control, which requires technical skill and practice, with a sense of play and enjoyment. Despite my play, I take my work seriously: it is a daily practice. I do not follow techniques and trends in the art world, however it is a delight to encounter a new technique that allows me to express my visual thoughts. Art is a form of expression and way to share what I see and feel. I want to communicate the sense of mystery and delight I feel myself. I hope to capture your eye and mind, and to take you to a different place for at least a moment. My Thread is a Rope The thread I hold is a rope. My thread is not a delicate silken floss, Bright with color. The thread that I hold onto is a rope: Strong, dull, dun colored, Dirty, encrusted with the juices of sixty-two years. Years of living, struggling, crying Laughing, making, and holding hands. Tarred by many more years of history, Family stories, memories not my own. Some strands of this rope are loose, Unraveled, untidy, adhering to people and things Left along the way. But the rope is strong: I can Pull, and lean, and even hang limp From this thread. --- Sandra British citizen born 1955 in Alexandria, Egypt. Immigrated to the USA with my parents, becoming a US citizen. Graduated a Computer Science B.S. from Florida State University after 18 months as an Art Major.

Education:

Practice, practice, practice! Art classes often depress me, and one year as a 17 year old art major was absolutely awful: tedious class requirements, no joy, and many many macho male art students making body casts of naked female students! I hated it, and it had nothing, nothing, nothing to do with making art for me!
I never completely stopped drawing, playing with color, and making things in my spare time. Eventually I found art workshops could be fun and helpful. After leaving full time employment for small town Port Townsend, I discovered a small weekly mixed media art session taught/facilitated by a true artist, one who knew how to inspire, encourage, and inform without negative judgements!

Events:

Selected Exhibitions: 2010 Shape of Water, Northwest Maritime Center, Port Townsend, WA 2010 Close to Home, Tyler Street Cafe, Port Townsend, WA 2009 Printmaker's Hand, Northwind Arts Center, Port Townsend, WA 2009 Tashiro Kaplan All-Arts Building 5th Anniversary Open House, Seattle, WA 2008 The CVG Show '08, Collective Visions, a Gallery of Art, Bremerton, WA 2007Art Port Townsend 9th Annual Juried Show, Port Townsend, WA 2006 Vessels, Northwind Arts Center, Port Townsend, WA 2006 Figures, solo exhibition at Belltower Art, Port Townsend, WA 2005 Contemporary Collage, Northwind Arts Center, Port Townsend, WA ,

Exhibitions:

I have not exhibited my work much for the past few years: exhibiting is less exciting than it once was. Truth is that it can be downright unpleasant!

It takes up too much of my time, with not much reward: I don't get much feedback from juried shows, and organizing individual exhibitions is a major enterprise.

I do want my work to be seen, so I publish online, and use my time to make new work! I prefer exploring new materials and ideas (sculpture currently) over organizing, framing, and making shows happen! It is such a luxury that I do not need to depend on art sales for survival.

So I exhibit here on Saatchi Online, on my art blog: http://ptartist.com, and in my own online photo gallery at http://sandrastowell.com/zengallery/