By Gayle Wheatley August 25, 2010

Sandy Ostrau’s wonderful paintings are filled with lush splashes of colorful energy. Composed on location, Sandy paints iconic Northern California landscapes, adding her own distinct artistic zest. As a result, Sandy’s paintings have an indescribable magical element about them. Light spills dynamically down dizzying hillsides, telephone wires are braided together with thick brush strokes of sky, waves swallow tiny chunks of rock, and the sea and sky duel for dominance over the horizon line.

Culture Vixen’s Gayle Wheatley caught up with Sandy to discuss art and creative inspirations.

Gayle Wheatley: How did you get your start as an artist?
Sandy Ostrau: Even as a kid art was my thing. I drew and painted on everything through high school and into college studying Art History. I started selling hand painted furniture, clothing, and ceramics in the 90′s and had a contract for my designs with Nordstrom department stores selling silk screened designs as wearable art. My line was selling well but I was spending too much of my time on sales and business and less and less time on art so I closed up shop and began taking oil painting and drawing classes at the Palo Alto Art Center. I fell in love with oil, a very forgiving medium, and began to focus on plein-air landscape painting.


GW: What are some of your artistic inspirations?
SO: I found two fabulous teachers, Brigitte Curt and Jim Smyth and studied painting with them. Over the years I was influenced by Bay Area artists Seldon Gile and the Society of Six artists and many of the iconic artists of the Bay Area Figurative movement including Richard Diebenkorn and Elmer Bischoff. From this influence I have developed my own style of modern landscapes.

GW: What is your creative process like?
SO: I still paint plein-air regularly, usually 2-3 days a week. I focus on all aspects of the California landscape and enjoy the process of painting quickly to capture a scene. Inspiration comes to me from the light, shapes and colors of nature. I like to paint several small paintings outdoors and then use these studies for larger more developed work done in the studio. When working on the studies I usually add more detail in the first of the paintings and move towards more simplification with the later ones. This process allows me to capture the essence of what inspired me. I use the shapes and values to create design and then have fun with the colors.


GW: What are you working on right now?
SO: Currently I am working on a series of paintings based on sketches I did while traveling in Tuscany. I am also interested in painting more figures in the landscape. My goal is to integrate the figures into the landscape just as any other element, such as a tree or rock, would be part of the picture, and to simplify the subject to eliminate any unnecessary details. Many of my newer paintings I’m working on in the studio are larger, which allows me to experiment with more shapes and texture.

GW: Any words of inspiration for those pursuing creative goals?
SO: I try to paint most days. As my teacher Jim Smyth says, it takes “miles of paint on canvas”  to paint a good picture which I believe rings true for any creative endeavor. Having a passion to make art is important but the doing of art is equally vital. I think any success I’ve had is due to good teachers and a persistent work ethic. Do something creative every day.

“I am drawn to the color harmonies found in nature. The crashing contrasts and delicate relationships of melding values found in Bay Area landscapes are both exciting and enticing. I try to capture the mood of the day on my canvas. As a frequent runner and hiker in the area’s parks and green spaces, I relish the opportunity to put paint on canvas in hopes of letting nature’s beauty speak through my brush.”—Sandy Ostrau

Thank you Sandy for sharing your work and your words of wisdom!

To see more of Sandy’s art, visit her website at: SandyOstrau.com

Related posts:

1. Artist Interview with Emily Weil