Ten Minutes with Artist Sandi Harrold from Down Under

Sandra Lea Harrold was born in Warwick, Australia. Sandi grew up on a cattle and sheep property on the Darling Downs, a farming region in Queensland with a landscape dominated by rolling hills covered by pastures of many different kinds of crops including vegetables, cotton, wheat, barley and sorghum. She currently lives in an outer Western suburb in Brisbane, Queensland.

I met Sandi through social media and invited her to contribute to our Red Interactive project when I saw how much she loves that vibrant expressive color.

Ennyman: What do you consider your most significant achievements?
Sandi Harrold: I received a lovely letter from a mother who had purchased one of my paintings for her daughter suffering from depression, telling me how she was sure the painting had helped in her daughter’s recovery. I have donated paintings to the Cerebral Palsy League, and several other charities, for auction.

Enny: Who have been your favorite artists over the course of your career?
Sandi: I really don’t like or dislike any particular artist. I love bright happy paintings. I don’t stop and gaze at sad dreary paintings – I’m definitely not a ‘sophisticated’ art critique – I like what I like and that’s that!

Enny: Who most influenced you when you were young?
Sandi: My beautiful Grandma Zara was my greatest ally. We’d sit on her window seat and she would paint the most delicate little birds for me with her tiny set of water color paints.

Enny: What are you currently working on?
Sandi: I am continuing to dream up ideas for paintings. I love to create paintings whereby the viewer can look at the painting, have a laugh, and create their own story and attach it to the painting. I am used to making up happy stories to tell the kindergarten children in my care, or my own children when they were younger, so new, and crazy, ideas comes naturally!

I just finished painting my dog Jack climbing up a ladder to chat with three giraffes!

Eyes are my big ‘thing’. Everything has to have big eyes – the windows to the Soul.

Enny: Any suggestions for emerging artists?
Sandi: I’ve only been painting for the last 4 years. My style is my own. I don’t mind that some people find it lacks technique, or that it’s too light-hearted. I tried having art lessons once, and paid a small fortune, to learn how to use art products. I stopped going after the fourth week as the teacher kept scoffing at my work and asking, “What exactly are you trying to achieve here? The eyes are too big... blah blah” – I really wanted to tell this guy that I’ve sold close to 400 paintings in these four years – but I decided I didn’t need his negative energy, so I left to continue to do my own thing.

I wash off or paint over some paintings, because if they’re not making me smile, they don’t last!

My advice for emerging artists is to listen to your own Spirit and paint what you like – never try to please anyone else, or to copy anyone else. There’s a unique artist within us all. All you have to do is let it out!!

Enny: What's the best way to see more of your work?
Sandi: I have a web site – www.sandiharrold.com.au. I welcome feedback and any suggestions or good ideas for paintings are always welcomed. xx