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The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross is proud to feature local artist Sandra Sibley in its Art Gallery. The gallery, at 150 Melrose Avenue in Tryon, is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during services.

Sandra has always had that “artsy” thing going but didn’t take up painting until 2008 when she signed up for an oil painting class at Tryon Painters and Sculptors with Saluda artist Beverly Pickard. All it took was that one class and she was hooked.

Since that first oil painting class, Sandy has expanded her painting media to include pastel, alcohol ink and, most recently, watercolor.

She enjoys painting landscapes, sea and marsh-scapes and horses. She’s also dabbled in portraiture. She has painted with Saluda artist Dale McEntire for a number of years and has participated in workshops with Rich Nelson, Bill Jameson, Lin Fiore, Michael White and Christopher Leeper.

“I strive with my art to capture the light, color and imagery of nature,” Sandy said. “I love to paint skies, particularly the skies in the South Carolina Lowcountry. The atmosphere just reflects light differently and vividly. 

“I also love the Blue Ridge Mountains with such great expanses of color and light. I am awed by the power of nature in the mountains and try to capture that in my paintings.”

Sandy’s paintings can be seen locally at Saint Luke’s Hospital, The Purple Onion in Saluda and the Tryon Painters and Sculptors Gallery.  

A retired therapeutic riding instructor, when she is not painting, Sandy can be found riding her horse, Tully  She and her husband, Hank, live in Columbus with their two sweet and spoiled Labrador retrievers and three crazy rescue cats.

The show will be on display until the end of January. 

 

Submitted by Lori Walter