Sandi Burdick: A First Exhibition
June 7-28, 2019
Sandi Burdick: A First Exhibition
Opening reception: Friday, June 7, 5:00-9:00 PM
Gallery hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Artist Statement
As children, we make art just for fun—for the sheer enjoyment of playing with colors and getting our hands dirty. As adults, we learn to be self conscious, and making art can feel indulgent. But for me painting brings me back to my first memories of making art where I am carefree, excited to see what will happen, and where anything is possible.
I am inspired not only by nature, but also by the materials themselves. Each canvas begins with spontaneous mark making, and I let the painting guide me as it develops. The relationships that emerge between colors and shapes take on an energy of their own and invigorate me. I continue to work making more marks, building up textures, and manipulating layers to realize the potential of those first impressions. Some pieces evolve quickly while others mature over weeks of trial, error, and happy accidents.
Consciously, my only real guardrails are to keep the work abstract and flowing. If I am looking at a passage in my painting and see a face or what looks like a dog, for example—I will always modify those marks to make that passage more anonymous. Nothing against dogs of course, but I want the viewer to come to my work with their own ideas and experiences and to arrive at their own conclusions about what the piece means.
I want my paintings to be the visual equivalent of instrumental chamber music—no lyrics to define the meaning, but layers and layers of interest to be enjoyed. While I don’t have a single piece of artwork I created as a child, I carry with me the same feeling of joyful creation. I hope that my work evokes positive feelings in others as well.
Biography
Longtime Knoxville resident Sandi Burdick is an accomplished gardener and abstract painter. Born in Idaho Falls, where nature is within easy reach, Sandi actively enjoyed the outdoors. At a very young age, Sandi’s mother saw artistic promise in her and nurtured her creativity with lessons from an art tutor. Although she excelled in math and science and eventually embarked on numerous business ventures with her husband, Tom Boyd, Sandi never lost her passion for art.
Throughout the years, as Sandi traveled the world for work and pleasure, she developed a great appreciation for art from diverse cultures and exotic locations. Whether trekking through Nepal or hiking the Appalachian Trail, her firsthand experience of the wonders of nature poured into her own creative aesthetic. Initially, these experiences shaped her passion for gardening. With the help of her husband, Sandi created elaborate gardens using plants, water, natural materials, and sculpture to create beautiful vignettes. She arranged textures and colors to create unique vistas in the way an artist might manipulate paint on a canvas.
In what she describes as a seamless transition, Sandi has now become that artist, creating abstract paintings on canvas with colorful acrylic paint and textural materials. Influenced by her lifelong adventures and inspired by nature, she has found passion and peace in painting and has pursued this interest energetically. Sandi credits mentor and instructor Ginger Oglesby in helping her to master her craft, and appreciate the possibilities of her materials. Having a dedicated studio has also positively impacted her work, giving Sandi the space to create larger pieces. While still an avid gardener, she has immersed herself in her painting. Sandi Burdick is a painter passionate about experimenting with her materials, refining her mark making and sharing the beauty she sees and feels through her work.
For more information, please visit her website at www.sandiburdick.com.