Sandra Paynter Washburn

Sandra Paynter Washburn

Artist Statement

Painting or engaging in some act of creativity daily is very important to me. It keeps me in tune with the beauty and rhythms in the world around me, and gives me a means of articulating my responses to these and other stimuli. Paraphrasing Georgia O'Keeffe, I can say things through my art that I have no other means of expressing. My work and working methods have evolved to include, but are not limited to, acrylic painting, and mixed media painting and assemblages. I prefer to begin working by making a few choices pertaining to composition, color and content, but with no distinct image in mind. This method allows me to keep my options open as the work assumes its own reality. I try to work just until the desired content is suggested, leaving each piece open-ended enough to allow each viewer his own interpretation of the piece. Because I have spent the last 30 years of my life in exploratory painting, I have an extensive range of techniques and theories to draw upon, and I freely share these with students in my classes.

Being an artist is my first calling, being a teacher is my second.