Andrea Sauer

... about me

The small beautiful things that are easily overlooked in the hustle bustle of everyday life inspire my paintings. When searching for something to paint I am forced to slow down and look for the things that appeal to my senses. I am drawn to nature's vibrant colors and the transluscence of flower petals against opaque leaves. I enjoy the shapes and patterns found in nature, and how color can be used to pull the viewer's eye throughout a composition. I also find myself drawn to reflective surfaces. Pushing reflected colors and yet still creating a believable three-dimensional form is intriguing.

I hope that people viewing my work have trouble looking away from the painting. I want my images to be extremely bold and the colors lush and unexpected. The image should grab people from afar and draw them in. Many of my images create a push-pull relationship between the foreground and the background through the use of realistic believable flowers and the contrasting background where the use of wet-on-wet paint creates blurred organic shapes. My most recent paintings also play with the use of a black background to push the translucent qualities of flowers.

Years ago an instructor at M.I.C.A. made a comment about the need to "fall in love" with what you are painting. I've scrapped paintings because I was worried over switching over laundry or what I could make for dinner. I keep one of these paintings hanging in my studio to remind myself of the automatic and preoccupied painting versus the magic that results when you are in tune with your subject. There is a certain connection that happens between artist and object and if you don't "fall in love" with your subject the painting feels stilted.

I love watercolors because of the unforgiving quality of the medium; if you aren't engaged and able to act with speed and decisiveness, the painting doesn't work. I try to ride the line between impossibly intense colors and painting a believable subject. Recently, I have found myself straying from direct observation to making decisions on color, shape, and composition based on what the painting needs.

My goals as a painter have become to figure out who I am as an artist. I have had extensive training as a painter but sometimes the "unlearning" of the rules or techniques becomes difficult. It has to be okay to be uncomfortable and to be willing to put something off to the side for a while so that everything doesn't become to precious. I have seen marvelous artists that have gotten caught in the trap of creating the same painting over and over. I want to avoid that. While I may work in a series, I am constantly looking for where my next piece will take me. Sometimes that idea will germinate from something simple. I have learned to trust in myself, and follow the idea.

My hope is that my images will bring enjoyment to viewers and that some of my fascination and reverence for nature will become theirs.

My favorite links

• Visit my online gallery and resume at:

To email me

You may email me at asauer1@comcast.net