Sandra Sedmak Engel | Abstract Figurative painter

A Maryland native, Sandra Sedmak Engel has lived in Baltimore, Md for the last 19 years. She holds a BFA with honors from the University of Maryland, and is very involved in many local arts organizations.
Sandra served as the Artist's Representative of the Steering Committee for School 33 Arts Center for several years, and was an integral part of starting up the Member's Gallery.
She is an honorary member of The Creative Alliance in Baltimore, where she also volunteers as a life drawing monitor. She is currently teaching encaustic painting workshops at both art centers, as well as in studio.

Art was a means of communicating without speaking when I was young and painfully shy. Figurative elements have always found their way into my work, regardless of subject matter. I want the viewer to see how the lines and energy I use relate to humanity. How we are all connected through life’s cycle.
I choose to paint with encaustics - painting with layer upon pigmented layer of beeswax. The physicality of the process - carving, scraping, burning into the wax - allows me to release the energy inside of me, incorporating light and depth into my work. Digging deep into the wax mimics my intent to dig deep within a person to show who they really are.
I often paint Rubenesque women. Capturing the twist of a hip, the lovely line of a neck, frees me. My figures are real and truthful. Curves are celebrated. I paint moments, hoping the viewer embraces the beauty we all feel inside.