​Art is a therapy, an escape and also a moment of joy!

Hi, I am Sandrine. In my heart I am a French island girl.
I grew up in Reunion Island, Mauritius and Seychelles, three beautiful islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean and moved to Sydney in my thirties. My love for happy colours and hot weather comes from my upbringing in this amazing part of the world.

To be able to express myself through my creativity has always been important to me. Mostly because the people surrounding me are very talented and gifted and have had a huge influence on my life. If I sum up, every single person in my family has been extremely influential in their own way.

First and foremost, my mum and step father who gave me the opportunity to travel and see the world from a very young age, sharing their passion for art with me along the way. They took me to an art exhibition in Basel in Switzerland a few years ago, where the main artist was Gauguin. I loved one of his paintings so much, that happened to be the hero painting of the exhibition, that I bought a large canvas print of his and it has been hanging in the entrance of my house ever since.

Then my brother who is 'The Artist' in the family. He is either busy sculpting, painting, building something or making the most stunning pieces of jewellery. I believe he took after my grandmother who was an amazing pianist but who also loved to paint and blessed us with her kindness. 
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My dad has always found joy in painting and building things too. He made me a beautiful desk when I was a young girl and has so many quirky sculptures and random paintings that he made himself and keeps in his house.
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My husband, of course wouldn't be my husband if he wasn't my greatest motivator and indirectly a big influencer of mine. He loves Art, Design and Architecture. He opened my eyes to some amazing artists - Rothko being one of them and will always encourage me and help me find my interests in life.

​I also think my son James is very gifted when it comes to Art and Music. He came back from school one day with a beautiful watercolour painting of two elephants inspired by Salvador Dali which I framed and I love. My youngest son Luke, on the other hand, is the one who emotionally connects our family and reminds us how important it is to have fun in life!
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Last but not least, there is my sister, who is probably the most hard working and dedicated person I know. When she sets herself up to something she becomes so focused and determined that she achieves amazing things!
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​So here I am, at the age of 45 writing these lines and wondering what drives me to paint and how do I find the inspiration to do it... I truly think that it has been all the people in my life who triggered the need in my soul to express what is inside me.

With the desire to explore my creative skills, I chose, when I was in my late twenties, to do a Masters Degree in Design Management in London at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design. This was definitely a step into the creative world.  I worked in the Design industry for several years, and even launched my own fashion accessory and homeware range. This experience made me realise that focus, self belief and individuality are the most important factors for success but also to find joy and happiness in what you do!

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Love what you do. Do what you love!