Color is an important part of Sandra Campbell’s art for both her pastels and collages. Most often she uses vivid hues in her art. At times, to change things up, she will work with soft, quiet colors or simply black and white. Most of her collages are abstract or impressionistic, while her pastel art tends to be realistic. Campbell’s work in both media will be featured at Sutter Creek Gallery during the month of August. A reception to open her show will be held on August 5, from 2 to 5 pm.
After retiring from teaching, Campbell took classes in various media. Eventually, she gravitated to soft pastels and studied for three years with master pastelist Thelma Davis. Many of these artworks, especially landscapes, are based on her own photographs. Working on sanded paper, which accepts multiple layers of color, she produces florals, still life and animals in addition to landscapes.
The artist later became intrigued with collage art which has become a major portion of her work today. The variety of the medium is what keeps Campbell energized. Paper can be affixed to a number of surfaces: watercolor paper, matboard, canvas, wood. And the selection of papers available is immense. Sometimes she paints and textures her own archival tissue. She also uses mulberry papers that are already colored. Or she takes pages out of discarded books or magazines or atlases. “These variations make working in collage so much fun. The chance to try something new is exciting, to see if I can take what’s in my head and translate it into paper,” she says. Campbell endeavors to instill that sense of fun and exploration in her students at the Amador Senior Center where she is teaching a monthly class in collage for adults.
Sutter Creek Gallery invites you to meet Sandra Campbell at the reception to view her work. She is one of twenty-three local artists exhibiting at the gallery located at 40 Main Street, in the heart of Sutter Creek. Besides original paintings and photography, the gallery offers affordable prints, cards, jewelry, pottery, glass and fiber arts, and gourds, as well as framing services. The gallery is open Thursday through Monday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For additional information, call 209-267-0228, email suttercreekgallery@gmail.com, or visit www.suttercreekgallery.com.
