"I am not a classically or formally trained artist, although I've been "at it" all my life.

What I know about the "art world" is that I don't know a lot.

I am a mature person who has had an exciting life full of adventures.

Fine Art is not a hobby. I work in my studio every day.

I am self taught.

I am clever.

I am a quick-learn.

I have taken art classes, I have studied and practiced on my own.

Once I created my technique [in a vacuum][in about 2003], I "perfected" it, but I'm still evolving.

The first 10,000 hours were hard.

I am constantly challenging myself to dig deeper, try harder, do more.

Whatever I have accomplished so far is by trying anything and everything."

Artist's Statement:

"My work reflects our society's obsession with beauty through advertising - and the endless images that bombard us daily. I appropriate those images and create them anew. My work is a purposeful intermix of images derived from advertising and thousands of incongruent pieces - images and text - that arrive through my mailbox. Assembled like a mosaic; the junk mail paper tiles create an entirely new image - an eclectic and tactile portrait reworked in my imagination, employing manual dexterity and materials that would otherwise go to waste."

Vision:

Join the disciplines of painting & mosaic to create a connected collection of representational images in segments of vibrant color; sometimes pretty pictures that reflect a thought, a moment in history, the remants of song, a concept or a mood.

Resume C.V.:

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology &  Bachelor of Fine Art – Painting

SUNY

Arizona State University

Graduate Studies:

ASU – jewelry, textile & surface design

UCLA – metal sculpture

Independent Studies:

New School – NYC - Figure Painting

Mosaic studies & practice: Italy, Turkey & Cyprus

2006 - Present

 

Museum Shows:

Solo Exhibitions:

• Women's History Month - University of Maryland, Baltimore MD - 2013

• "Manipulated Mail - Messages in the Mosaic" - Academy of Fine Arts, Lynchburg, VA - 2011

• "Recycled Art" - Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, AZ - Summer 2010

• “Sandhi Schimmel Gold – Mosaic Portraits” Springs Preserve Museum - Las Vegas, NV – 2009

• “Literal Green” - The Gallery @ The Library, Scottsdale, AZ - 2009

Museum/ Exhibition Group Shows:

Arizona Museum for Youth, Mesa, AZ

Cultural Arts Center - "Messages in Mosaic" Gumenick Gallery - Glen Allen, VA

"Beyond Appearances: Intricate Portraits" - Group Show - GE Cultural Fine Art Gallery

"Recycled Art Exhibition" Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM

Shemer Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ

Gallery Shows:

Solo Shows:

ArtWorks - Richmond, VA

Convivo – Phoenix, AZ

ecOcentricity - Phoenix, AZ

G3reen Outlet – Las Vegas, NV

"Junk Mail Transformed" Art Gallery at DeCOR - Richmond VA

ecOcentricity – Phoenix, AZ

Expressions Gallery “Dramatic Characters”– Berkeley, CA

Gallery Provocateur "Resurrection of Beauty" - Chicago, IL

Historic First Studio – Phoenix, AZ

iiMAGE Gallery – Phoenix, AZ

McDowell Studios – Phoenix, AZ

MyxMedia Gallery - Phoenix, AZ

RawStyle - Santa Monica, CA

The Loft at Liz's - Los Angeles, CA

Translations Gallery – Denver, CO

Tryst Gallery – Chandler, AZ

Vivavi – New York, NY

Gallery Group Shows:

American Art Gallery – Carmel, CA

Art & Design Matters - Houston, TX

Arts & Artisans - Chicago, IL

Arts Alive – Scottsdale, AZ

ArtWorks - Richmond, VA

ArtSpace – Scottsdale, AZ

Bella Studios – Valparaiso, IN

Chasen Galleries - Richmond, VA

Dick Kleinman Fine Art - Cleveland, OH

DKC Fine Art – Palm Springs, CA

Matthew Campbell Gallery - Greenville, SC

Raw Style – Santa Monica, CA

The Loft at Liz’s “Diverted Destruction” – Los Angeles, CA

Translations Gallery – Denver, CO

ZinGaro – Glendale, AZ

Acquisitions*:

Corporate / Museum Acquisitions:

Academy of Fine Art - Lynchburg, VA

Ballard Investments - Salt Lake City, UT

Ben Katz Productions - Santa Monica, CA

CBD Interfaith Ministry - Surrey, England, UK

Ecofabulous - Los Angeles, CA

Denver Children's Hospital - Denver, CO

Etherton Law Group - Sioux Falls, SD

Flemings Restaurants - Newport Beach, CA

GlutenFreeMatzo.com - Santa Monica, CA

Green Dot Corporation - San Francisco, CA

Molson/Coors Headquarters - Golden, CO

Murder, Inc. - Calabasas, CA

Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery - Phoenix, AZ

Palmina Leone Corporate Headquarters - Phoenix, AZ

RanRoy Corporation - San Diego, CA

Ripley’s Museums - several locations in the U.S. and Europe

Salon Surreal - Phoenix, AZ

Scottsdale Center for the Arts - Scottsdale, AZ

Sun Cornerstone Corporation - Scottsdale, AZ

Urban Beans - Phoenix, AZ

Celebrity Acquisitions/Commissions:

Billy Bush - Television Personality

Colin Colville - Chef

Eva Jeanbart Lorenzotti - Fashion Icon and Television Mentor

Don Miggs - Musician

Nancy O'Dell - Television Personality

Masha Philappova - Supermodel

Holly Robinson Peete - Actress

Coco Rocha - Supermodel

Robert Schimmel - Comedian

Kevin Sorbo - Actor

Glynn Turman - Actor

Kim & Don - Radio Hosts of Culinary Confessions

*Galleries may have sold items to corporations and private collections that I am not aware of.

 

Other Stuff:

Featured in Emmy-nominated episode of "My Generation" - PBS

Phoenix Magazine's Emerging Artist of the Year

media coverage, publicity, etc. can be found HERE

HISTORY

I learned to mix paint before I could write my name and play piano before I could read music.

I spent my youth sitting quietly in my bedroom drawing. I cut school to spend days at art museums and galleries in New York City.

I changed majors in under grad and disciplines in grad school so many times, I decided to take my life-long love of learning out of academia.

In most ways, I am self-taught.

I studied mosaics overseas and applied this knowledge into my current work. I am very much influenced by what I have seen during my extensive travels and inspired by fashion, music & emotions.

CAREER

I began my professional career painting murals.

I moved on as a designer of numerous consumer goods: needlework, leather goods, fashion and accessories.

I was the creative force and cofounder of

On Display Inc., a ground breaking retail display design & production company. I gained national attention and recognition designing stores, fixtures, and props. Designs for Levi Strauss & CO. appeared on the cover of Visual Merchandising and Store Design Magazine. ...and I was always painting custom portraits “on the side.” I became a special event designer - florals, sets, props for corporate and private events. This somehow took me into corporate nonprofit work...naturally! By the way, that's my bathroom floor.. and yes, I did it!

QUIRKY!

I was a subject of an extensive research study.

I have Eidetic Imagery - something like a photographic memory...but I can see images in the air, watch movies in the air...it is extremely rare.

In addition, I have Perfect Pitch and I am a Synesthete – these "phenomena" have affected my entire existence! Drawing, designing, painting - always in color, always in “tune.” I began piano lessons at four.

In my world, words, numbers, and sound are infused with color. I do see thing differently. My brain is the projector – placing images on blank canvas. This is typical of those with eidetic imagery, and how the early masters "saw" and reproduced their subjects without them being present. My work is an algebraic equation. It is a mathematical progression.

 

 

 

1. "Are YOU the artist?" - When people meet me, they seemed surprised - were you expecting someone taller? younger? thinner? cuter? male?
2. "How long have you been an artist?" - I've never not been an artist.
3. "How long have you been doing this kind of work?" - I've always painted in this style and had my hands in mosaic of one kind or another for many years. It's a natural progression.
4. "How did you come up with this idea?" - I'm an artist. Necessity is the mother of invention. I wanted to create mosaic portraits without cutting glass!