Hello, I’m Sandie and I’m an artist….no that sounds like an intro to a AA meeting! I loathe introductions..how to impart valuable details in the space of a couple of sentences without sounding glib or arrogant! Right, deep breath…here we go… I’m Sandie, nudging 60, mother, grandmother, wife and slave to our killer cat, Gladys. I live on a narrowboat, currently bobbing up and down on the Lea Navigation. I am a “general factotum” artist… in other words I do anything that interests me. From designing letters to signwriting, gold gilding to card design, screenprinting to building props…and sometimes I write for magazines..not about art, I hasten to add.
I work from my boat, which is difficult..I am a constant cruiser, meaning that we move every 14 days unless we are in lockdown. The boat is 6ft 10” wide, 49ft long..space is at a premium. So its a corner of the settee, part of the kitchen work surface, or if the sun is out, the back deck of the boat. I have made big signs on the boat, complete with lights ..it was so hard not to knock them over and ruin weeks of work! Everything has to be cleared away if you want to cook or made safe if we are moving. The biggest problem can be Gladys, muddy cat pawprints have ruined many a drawing! Mind you, after a bit of gold gilding, Gladys does sparkle on the towpath!
My mantra is “Deadlines amuse me!”.. I usually am still working to the 11th hour on a commission! I seem to work better with a tight deadline than a long one.
My children are grown up but have always supported me in my artistic endeavours . Both are artistic and understand what drives me and why I do what I do. My daughter, Jess, will be very honest if she likes something or not. Now the new generation, my grandchildren, are part of this, with their take on art.
There is always a voice in my head screaming that I’m not good enough, confidence seems to slip through my fingers! Sometimes I ignore it and carry on regardless, other times it cripples me. I think, like most artists , we are never truly happy with what we produce, there is always that single brushstroke that isn’t right or a pencil mark that might be visible. Even when I have a very happy client, I still see the flaws .
Perfection is a real bugger!
I have always taken my work seriously, it is part of me. I put my heart and soul into everything I do, the problem is sometimes I think that others don’t see it that way. I do a lot of planning, drawing and test pieces before a piece comes together, then to have someone do the sharp intake of breath and go…”how much..it’s only a sign” It’s as if there is no value to you or your work.
I take inspiration from so many different areas, graveyards are a particular favourite. Different types of lettering, hidden messages in the carvings of hands and flowers, and great epitaphs. Then it’s Tattoos, stained glass, old postcards, flyers, posters and LP covers, boat lettering and fairgrounds. It is not just the visual that inspires, its words as well..song lyrics are perhaps my most loved inspiration. Poetry set to music, from Thin Lizzy to Kate Bush, Rory Gallagher to Peggy Lee, a lyric will hit the right chord and make me what to paint. There is so much joy in words, perhaps this is why I love using letters in my work.
If interested at looking at my work and life..instagram @theswallowsignco
