Chose wisely what to accept and what to reject. Artist Doug Sandelin

Much of Doug Sandelin art is socially engaging. He is for the most part a self taught artist.  Doug Sandelin passion is painting portraits and figures. His work is to him like life, just a series a of mistakes in a process of correction. The  series “Idyllic America” that he is currently working on is about rejection and acceptance. Doug Sandelin uses a subject matter that has a history of rejection and he puts it in a format that has been widely accepted like the Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post, but we will let him tell you his story.

Being raised in somewhat strict home I was taught what the roles of a man, woman and child were.The man of the house was a provider and the woman and children were in submission to the father. When I left that controlling way of life I soon started looking at others with a new appreciation for the diversity and courage to live authentically. At 10 years old I asked my father if I could be an artist. Showing him the drawing I did of Bambi from the TV Guide (You know the one, that if you could draw Bambi or the Pirate you could go to their art school), he did not believe that I drew it! He said No, you can not be an artist. It is better for you to work for the Lord. Years later I went to my first Gay Pride Parade and I was inspired to paint the people in the parade which fueled my parents rejection of me.

I was feeling trapped!

Having very little school and college not an option My creativity was suppressed. Not knowing for years I was dyslectic I developed other skills and always wanted to paint portraits. Humans are to me the ultimate work of art. Now I have learned to surrender to my intuition and paint with intentionI work from my photographs from the fairs in San Francisco.

I paint in watercolor on paper, This new series I am working on now is called “Idyllic America” after Norman Rockwell”s Saturday Evening Post. This is my spin on that. Also Sister Soami Delux is a portrait of one of the founding members of the sisters of perpetual indulgence , I am doing a series on them now for a show and there are four founders that I am painting in a “Icon” style.

Doug Sandelin

 

To see the artwork of artist Doug Sandelin go here

For more information about Doug Sandelin go here http://dougsandelin.com/