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Sandra Bottinelli was born on the shores of New Jersey in 1972, then moved to south Florida in her early teens. Ever since she can remember as if it were innate, she has been pursuing her passion as an artist.

Following her interest in the arts and to expand her talents, she attended college at the University of Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1995. With a desire to experience the world and further her studies, she chose, as many artists have before her, to travel to Europe where she studied the Fine Arts in Salamanca and Barcelona, Spain. Affected by the energy of the museum walls, oil paints became her medium of choice. This experience was to heavily influence her style and aid her in finding herself as a true artist.

After returning from Europe, Sandra moved to Portland, Oregon, where she continued to paint, study and display her work. She quickly became a regional favorite and her works were displayed in numerous galleries and exhibits over the course of seven years. Closing in on the seventh year, Sandra felt the pull to once again be near family. With a new sense of purpose and an explosion of creativity she found herself returning to Florida where she now resides and maintains her studio.

The Process

Images roll over and over in Sandra's mind. It may be weeks until they reach a completed point, down to the color of a scarf or the sharpness of a fingernail. It is a dream and she weaves her way in and out of it, through every crevice until the piece is done in her mind. Completed here, Sandra devises a plan to get the picture from her head onto the canvas.

The moods of the images are a very important aspect of Sandra's work and she takes great consideration in figuring out what exactly it is she is feeling. The images in my head are like dreams in that they have certain feelings attached to them. It is not necessarily the objects that need to be executed exactly but more the feelings they exude. It is like when you have a dream. A certain person is in it and you know who it is even though it is not their face. You know who it is because of what you feel, not of what you see.

Although the artist will have a general idea of what the piece is about, in the end, the painting has told her all of the details. Sandra has said, "The titles of my work usually reveals itself midway through the piece although at times it comes days after the painting is completed, but never before it is started."

"I tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."

Vincent Van Gogh

"Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it."
Salvador Dali