Sandra Duran Wilson

My art lives on the border between abstraction and the natural world. I paint my vision of galactic spaces, magical landscapes and gritty streets. My love is for texture, exploration, and creating layers. I intuitively add, scrape back, construct and build more layers to tell the story. Color also plays a significant role and for me it represents music or sounds and adds another layer. The vibrant abstract mixed media images contain text and collage amid numerous layers of acrylic that evoke feelings of history and mystery. These layers leave room for the viewer to enter into the story. My work explores the possibilities that exist on the edge of memories, ideas, emotions and the weird way things get mixed up in dreams. I enjoy pushing the boundaries of materials to keep my art fresh and lively. The work is a dialogue between sound and color as it is filtered through the mixed sensations of synesthesia. Curiosity and intuition guide my process, creating a dialogue with the painting that arrives at a destination that can hold my interest and imagination.

Sandra Duran Wilson is an internationally recognized artist, author, lecturer, and juror. Her innovative, award-winning mixed media art has been influenced by her extensive scientific background and her experience with synesthesia. The abstract work reflects her interests in quantum physics and nature, and the colorful work reflects synesthesia. She combines her interests with writing and has six published art technique books and numerous articles in Acrylic Artist Magazine. Born and raised on the border of Mexico, Sandra has lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico since 1977. As a child, she apprenticed under her great aunt Santa Duran, a renowned artist (1909-2002). She pursued studies in physics, biology, and chemistry, earning degrees in both Fine Art and Cognitive Science from the University of New Mexico. She has had exhibitions in Australia, Milan, Venice, Florence and Paris, as well as 20 solo exhibitions in the US. Her work is in numerous public art collections, including the Convention Center in Santa Fe. She also takes artists on life-changing art expeditions around the world to places like Morocco, Italy, and Ireland.

2-D, Collage/Mixed Media, Painting (all materials)