Sandra Robinson is a Manchester based artist. She studied at Manchester Metropolitan University and graduated in 2005 with a BA Honours in Fine Art Painting.
Sandra’s work is inspired by places she has visited, journeys within urban and rural landscapes, especially local areas such as Sale Water Park, Tatton Park in Knutsford, and the Peak District. Her gift lies in her ability to paint poems about her experiences, and with very sober titles such as ‘The 21.00 From London Euston’ (above) the wild landscapes with exuberant colour show us how beautiful the world that we live in can be – we only need to know how to look at it.
“I sometimes sketch, write down words and take photographs but when returning to the studio I like to rely on my memory of the experience using the photographs and sketches and words as triggers for the paintings. I enjoy the process of working in layers building up a density of paint which I constantly re-work by scraping scratching and sanding back to reveal some of the layers underneath”.
‘The 21.00 From London Euston III’ by Sandra Robinson, Oil on Canvas, 30cm x 30cm 2013
We asked Sandra Robinson for her review of 2013.
Lisa: What has been your favourite exhibition of 2013?
Sandra: I have not had much time to visit as many exhibitions as I would have liked this year, but fortunately living in Manchester there is always something to see. A couple of exhibitions really stick in my mind, the first is one by abstract painter Callum Innes which was held at the Whitworth art Gallery, I especially liked a set of watercolours that he made by extracting paint. The second was the fabulous touring exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery of Grayson Perry’s The Vanity of Small Differences which tells the story of class mobility and how it affects our aesthetic taste, very thought provoking and inspiring.
Lisa: What highlights have you experienced in your own art studio in 2013?
Sandra: It has been a busy year for me as I have been preparing for my first solo exhibition which was at The Sale Waterside Arts Centre. It was exciting to see all the paintings building up in my studio and having a deadline to work to was a new experience for me.
‘Searching for Spring’ by Sandra Robinson, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, 2013
Lisa: What art related new years resolutions will you make?
Sandra: My New Year’s resolution will be to continue experimenting; I would like to create more mixed media work in 2014 and also try my hand at some sculpture.
Lisa: What valuable lesson did you learn about making art in 2013?
Sandra: I learned to be brave and not to give up if things are a little hard and taking extra effort, also that experimentation can keep work fresh and exciting. At the beginning of the year I was working predominantly in acrylics, I really wanted to try oils but hadn’t had much success in the past. Half way through the year with my deadline looming I made the decision to give oils another go, I was determined this time to make it work with a little extra effort the paintings started to come together.
‘Persephone’ by Sandra Robinson, Oil on Canvas, 90cm x 90cm, 2013
Lisa: What art materials are on your wishlist?
Sandra: I am loving using Winsor and Newton oil bars at the moment so would like to have one in every colour. Also Sennelier oil pastels, the whole set would be nice, and general things that every artist needs like more brushes and paint.
To view more work by Sandra Robinson please visit:
http://www.sandra-robinson.co.uk/
http://www.thecolourofideas.blogspot.co.uk/
Sandra Robinson
Sandra’s work is lovely, I could happily have a piece of it on my wall!