Art by Samantha Sandbrook
Samantha Sandbrook’s images celebrate the work of a serious artist with a playful spirit who explores the boundaries of both fine art and illustration. She has been an active member of the Toronto art community since 1996. She is an Honours graduate of Queen’s University (B.F.A.) and received advanced standing at Ontario College of Art (A.O.C.A.D.). She has been involved in group and solo exhibitions at both trade show (T.I.A.F., I.D.S. and T.A.E.) and gallery venues.
A versatile artist, Samantha experiments with non-traditional mixed media (ink, powdered pigment, spray paint, encaustic, and gold and silver leaf) and traditional oils to create her decorative work. The Pre-Raphaelites’ approach - their use of rich tapestries and gold and silver hues as well as their sense of women as the embodiment of nature - has influenced her subject and media. In this regard, she employs the juxtaposition of opposites to create dynamic images. This juxtaposition includes diverse surface qualities (matte or weathered vs. shiny and new), contrasting subjects (flowers vs. abstract decorative panels) and divergent textures (raised or relief vs. flat). These textures possess a special quality; they emit both tranparency and depth, the blend of which illuminates this artist’s magical world of romance and whimsy.
Samantha’s works of idealize nature reflect the human search for utopia. Seemingly overlaid in sumptuous moisture, they stimulate the eye and invite the viewer to touch - and in a sense devour - her paintings.
