Sandy Clough Gift Collection

I think there are some mysteries to most people about artists. One question is – “How do you do it?” and the other might be “How did your art become a business”? For myself, I can only answer the first one by saying that the Lord gave me a gift of being creative and of being able to reproduce the beauty I see with a pencil, paint and a brush. I do have a degree in Art and a Master’s Degree in Art Education but they would not have been enough without a creative gift.

Frequently I am asked, “How do you get your ideas?” I tell them that I have so many ideas that they are like planes waiting to land and get painted. Some never do, because they are replaced by a new idea that feels more urgent. My eyes are so attracted to beauty that I want to reproduce it in a way that shares that beauty with others.

I see beauty, of course, in nature but also in things like a beautiful teacup with its shiny glaze or a tarnished brass bucket or a rusted hinge. The beauty of delicate china appeared in my art and that led to my illustrating and later writing books about tea and friendship. I think gathering friends around a beautiful, welcoming table is important. The beauty of flowers, the shimmer of butterflies and the flutter of birds in my garden are a constant inspiration.

The flow of my art business has gone from selling paintings at outdoor arts and crafts shows, to selling my prints of my paintings. I am still amazed that my work has been not only across the US, but in Canada, Australia, South Africa, Russia, Turkey and Poland.

It is constantly a thrill to me to begin painting something that I hope will make your eyes happy—whether it is an art print, or a gift or something for your home.