Get into the creative mind set of American artist Sandy Allnock (@sandyallnockfineart). We asked her loads of questions about her art process, interests, and inspiration, so read on to find out more!
What would you tell your younger self?
My younger self had confidence she’d one day be in galleries and famous - but I’d tell her that it’s going to take a lot of work to get there. So, draw, draw, draw, and especially when you think you’re good, draw some more!
Drawing is the underlying foundation for every medium - since even while painting, you’re drawing, just with a brush. Learn perspective and accurate representation of forms and values, and then every medium you want to try will be just technique for that tool, and you won’t be learning to draw at the same time.
How about growing up, did you come from a creative family?
My mother was an artist, though gave that up while raising 3 kids; she always wanted me to go on to live the creative life she couldn’t. My sisters were both more interested in writing than art, but I was the kid who had a sketchbook stashed inside my textbook so everyone would think I was studying hard.
After we flew the coop Mom went back to painting, got her college degree in art, and showed in galleries! She and I still share our art passions, and she critiques my work for me even at 94 years old. She’s my inspiration to just keep learning!
What’s something you were nervous about starting, that turned out amazing?
Pastel had me very, very nervous. As an artist who began with a tight style in coloured pencil, I knew pastel to be a medium that smudged with a finger – “dusty and messy” as my Mum told me. She loved painting in pastels, but I didn’t even entertain the idea of trying it for years because of the “mess.”
And then…as Mom aged, she began shipping me boxes of her art supplies she knew she’d never use. Her pastel sets were in some of them. Oh my, did she have a lot! And to show her I appreciated the gift, I began to use them.
It turned out to be messy as promised - but so much fun. It was the start of my foray into creating pet portraits! I’m still learning, but I get excited to go into the studio on a day when pastel is on deck.
What’s your favourite time of day?
Mornings are my most creative time! I love getting up and spending some time sketching while I have my breakfast. I pick up whichever medium inspires me and draw or paint something just for me, making notes for my next video on YouTube, or a new class and the process I’d like to teach.
What’s an art medium that you love and one that is more of a challenge?
Watercolour painting is both for me!
In 2017, I was lucky enough to go on a solo trip across Europe and wanted to take art supplies, but my mediums were all pencils and pens at the time. I couldn’t backpack that much so decided rather than black and white sketches, I would try watercolour. GASP – was it harder than I ever knew!
I spent those weeks making terrible paintings, though I leaned that sketchbook on the marble wall in the Louvre for a photo op of my “exhibition” there.
When I returned, I decided to dive in deep and conquer the medium. It was the first time I hadn’t been able to figure out a medium quickly, and it bothered me that I was so bad right out of the gate! But…over the course of a few years studying under some amazing painters, I began to develop my own style, and am giving back to new painters by teaching what I would have wanted to learn at the beginning.
Where do you go for creative inspiration?
Inspiration depends on the day. Sometimes it’s a colour itself that excites me, or a colour combination. “Today feels like a purple and yellow day.”
Other days it’s a subject, like wanting to draw a landscape I took a photo of, or an idea I wanted to explore. Every summer I dive into painting seascapes, and that’s always a fun way to learn something by painting and drawing them in a variety of ways.
And then there’s supplies that can rev up my engines. I discovered how wonderfully graphite pencil works on paper made of stone, and how detailed I can make erasure marks.
If you had no time frame, what would you love to create?
I’d love to get some of the children’s books in my head out onto paper! Some I’ve harboured for decades, but my world is such a frenzy of keeping the balls in the air as a self-employed art business, I keep telling myself I’ll get to those ideas “one day when I have time."
How do you steer a creative project that isn’t working?
Two things. Number one: SQUINT! It seems like a small thing, but when something isn’t working, squinting, stepping back, looking at it from another angle, all help me see what’s off. Squinting averages out middle values and shows where highlights and shadows are, clarifying shapes and how they relate.
And number two: KEEP GOING. Even if I feel like I’ve “ruined” a piece of paper or canvas, I soldier on. Perhaps not with the intent of completing that particular piece, but to either:
1. Use the rest of the whitespace to practice and improve techniques so that when re-starting, l have the practice under my belt OR
2. Try a crazy technique of some kind. I’ll spray it with alcohol to see what the medium does. Try a colour wash over an area to explore colour before redoing the piece.
I really believe in using a piece of paper to learn as much as I can before moving on.
What does a Sunday afternoon look like for you?
If the weather is nice - I love to go out to a local park or coffee shop and sketch. I’m one of those artists who’s always arting, even when resting!
What are your tips on how to improve at art?
In any medium, practicing your drawing is crucial. I know the idea of drawing is painful for some folks - but having a LOT of drawing experience just means when you get to painting or other mediums, you only have to think about the medium’s technique, because drawing has become second nature.
My other tip is to create something every day. Even if it’s 10 minutes of drawing your dog, or painting with yesterday’s coffee before swirling it down the drain. It keeps you always “ready” to hear your muse when it speaks to you, because you’ve got materials in hand to capture the ideas!
So insightful! Sandy has taught us that it’s well worth dedicating time to drawing before moving onto other media – it’s foundational for all kinds of creating!
See more about @sandyallnockfineart by checking out our gallery, where her art journey is featured. Stock up drawing supplies, watercolours, and coloured pencils if you feel inspired to explore creating. #montmarteart or tag us @montmarteart on Instagram or Facebook to show us what you come up with!
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