Sandy Kay, Creating a Magical Life One Magical Moment at a Time
Meet Artist, Teacher and Creative Facilitator, Sandy Kay.
Sandy intimately understands the feeling (and anxiety) of a very full life. As a former graphic and greeting-card designer, publisher and theatre-set costume designer, Sandy has experienced tight deadlines, juggling multiple priorities and the never-ending quest to find the seemingly elusive balance between a fulfilling personal and successful professional life.
Sandy became a full-time painter in 1993 . Since that time, she has always had her own studio/galleries, one of which was on the beloved Granville Island, in Vancouver, BC. Sandy now lives and paints from her home gallery in Halfmoon Bay on the beautiful Sunshine Coast as well as Southern California during the winter months.
PH: Sandy, how would you describe your work in one sentence?
Sandy Kay: I strive to create a feeling rather than a picture.
Life is fast. We often miss the small moments, the obvious, the people on the sidelines. We become unseeing of the common views… I focus on these, capturing something in my paintings that might otherwise be missed in our fast-moving world. I invite those viewing my work to pause and experience emotion – truly experience it. To experience emotion is to evoke a response from deep within that sometimes we have forgotten. Our emotions are our link between life and feeling fully alive. While my work spans a broad range of subjects and styles, from portraits to landscapes and seascapes to large abstracts, the commonality can be found in the stories.
PH: You are a teacher and facilitator as well as a painter, what is your greatest reward in this role?
When I work with other creators – whether they’ve been creating for a month or a decade – my greatest joy comes from watching their creativity break-throughs. We leave our baggage at the door, create a supportive, fun and nurturing environment and just let it flow!
Sharing with others my technical knowledge, passion, insights, views on creativity… is my way of “paying back” to the Universe for what I have been given. So many of us desire creative expression through painting. I help people find their own way – it is so gratifying to see people progress. Most of us think we can’t do it so we yearn from the sidelines when all we really need is someone to show us how!
An important aspect of my Mission as a painter, an artist, is to help others.
What is your greatest reward as an artist and teacher?
Years ago, when I taught plein air painting in the Florida keys, I entered a competition with a water colour painting, and one of my students won first place over me… I was elated! I have mostly women students, and am focused on giving messages that encourage self esteem and empowerment, joy in their own expression.
I believe we can individually contribute to saving our world and healing many ills with LOVE and PEACE. Learning to release and express our creative selves can lead to more of both of these in our world.
PH: We hear a lot about ‘Trusting the Process.’ How has your painting career and the creative process helped you to learn this valuable lesson and apply it to the other areas of your life?
I have an attraction to technical aspects of painting and always strive to work in an archival way. I also have strong drawing skills. Often I can “trick” myself into entering a very creative space by utilizing these skills to start a painting then allow myself to expand from within it. As an artist, I have experienced the blank canvas paralysis…and I approach it indirectly. I start applying an under-painting and then begin to move paint around in random patterns. Often the painting will start to emerge and become itself. If I am painting an intentional painting, and maybe working from photo references and know what it is before starting, I work out a series of sketches (thumbnails) and develop my value studies. These are very important, sort of a road map, and help guide the painting process. It releases me from being tied to the reference and turning the painting into an illustration. After the drawing is complete, I work from the thumbnail not the photo. That’s where trust comes in for this kind of painting – my groundwork (done with intention) is solid, and I can trust in myself and in that part of the process to continue creatively and joyously
PH: Wow! Sounds like many substantial life lessons as well!
PH: Do you work on one painting at a time or do you have multiple paintings happening at once? Again, what lessons or tips can you offer that tie into our daily lives regarding time management or balancing multiple priorities?
Artists work in many different ways. My paintings are done in multiple styles and mediums, and I always have many paintings in process at the same time. I do work on one painting or several in the same series at a time, however I often put these aside and work on something else for awhile. A master painter once told me that an artist should spend an equal amount of time looking at the work in process as they do actually working on it. I have adopted this work habit and find it very helpful to my process.
My water colours are quite detailed, and I always have one on my drafting table in process. I will often take a break from my acrylics and oils and work quietly on these paintings. The one I am working on now has over 40 hours of work on it, and it’s probably only half complete. Very time consuming but I love the results!
PH: Again, some powHERful life lesson comparisons. Love it!
PH: What projects are you working on now?
I am excited to start on two landscape series. I may end up combining the two into one West Coast series when I get into the meat of it. That’s all part of trusting the process. Here are two examples. Do YOU see these styles combining in the future? #creativeinput
PH: What is your ultimate dream for your work/Mission and where you’d like to take it?
To provide a window for people to see things they might not normally see, to heighten awareness of the world we are living in – sometimes this is a happy joyous thing, sometimes reflective and full of angst – but always striving to capture a moment in time or an energy of place for people to stop and focus. To just stop.
PH: As you well know, Sandy, at PowHERhouse, we strive to provide solutions for women to help them stay strong, positive and powHERful in their bodies, businesses and lives. Much of that strength initiates at the physical level and ascends from there. Can you tell us what components of your Practice are most important to you? How do you keep yourself strong and powHERful on a consistent basis?
I have had some health challenges for the first time in my life over the past two years. I have always been healthy and strong so this was a new experience. I approached these challenges the same way I approach any challenges in a my life – through intense research and learning and committing my resources to solving the problem.
I have learned my own physical limits and am now kinder and less critical of myself in certain ways. I have added a meditation practice to my day, and am even more conscious of my daily eating. I am ready to step up my physical activity now.
My painting practice keeps me focused and energized. My journey has led me to this time and place. I have all I need to now realize my true potential and distinct message through my painting, and this really makes me excited and happy!
We look forward to following Sandy’s journey to her most PowHERful sense to self as she continues to let her light shine and her work spread her message of hope, joy and empowHERment.
Sandy welcomes connection. You can find her at sandykayart.com or on Facebook. Her goal is to become more active on Twitter in 2015, so please follow her at @sandykayart for quick tips, tweets and creative inspiration for your art and your daily life!