The Border Artists
Sandy Zane began painting seriously in the early 1970’s, and after a hiatus of thirty years to raise four children and complete a career in the brokerage industry, she has again begun to produce the unique works that were her signature in the past. Ms Zane first became involved with the skin as that which contains the soul and protects with such flimsy defense—fragile, vulnerable, yet strong and resilient. The techniques used in her works evolved as a result of explorations to push to the ultimate limits of acrylic paint. Many thin, fluid applications of color form a “skin” of paint when dried on a non-porous surface. The skins are then removed and mounted on various supports: paper, canvas and transparent polyvinyl sheeting. Some works are two dimensional, while others form three-dimensional bas-reliefs on canvas or directly on the wall. In the last instance, the configurations of the works change with the installation. In each case, however, color and form are all important.
The artist strives for colors that have a clarity and luminosity similar to stained glass with color modulations that are both delicate and subtle. Textures are achieved by pushing folds and bubbles into the skins as they are applied to the support. The tears that occur as the skins are removed from their non-porous surface become an important characteristic of artistic expression. She has recently expanded her explorations to include watercolor, collage, mixed media, printmaking and drawing into her works.