In My Element | Sandi Wilson 
 

Meet the queen of the pastel color palette; Sandi Wilson. Sandi is a sweet friend of mine who also is an amazing portrait artist. Her primary medium is oil paints - but with the year we all had last year has also started dabbling in other types of mediums such as resign. She loves working from life, but when she can't do that she works off of photographs. Sandi is one of the most beautifully kind people you will ever meet. She has such a softness and calm about her that translates into her paintings. Sandi always created and painted as a kid, like we all do, but what is great about her, is she never stopped. She was around 10 years old when her grandma first started having her help with oil painting and teach her the tricks of the trade. It was from this same grandma that Sandi cultivated her love of Dahlias as well. In front of her house Sandi transformed the park strip into a Dahlia sanctuary. Her grandma was not only an amazing artist and gardener, but mentor as well. Sandi uses her art and Dahlias as a way to not only express herself, but keep her grandma close. "She's in me" is how Sandi worded her connection to her grandma. I just think that is such a beautiful way to put it. 

Sandi was kind enough to let me photograph her in her home studio. It was filled with art that had been lovingly painted and now adorned her walls, propped up against the floor and carefully stacked on desks. I love seeing where artists work. It's a little glimpse into their thoughts and mind. After we shot in the studio for a few, we headed outside to take some in front of Sandi's beautiful Dahlias. Their west facing house gave off the most warm glow of a sunset that only added to the cohesion of Sandi's color palette. I'm so glad Sandi let me into her home so that I could help tell a little about her story and share her beautiful creations with all of you. You can find her on Instagram at sandi_wilson_art.