Leslie Sandbulte describes her portraits as “people experiencing the rituals of daily life; waiting, thinking, daydreaming,”
She challenges her viewers with the unresolved nature of the figure’s action, allowing them to become a part of the work.
The element of design is primary to Sandbulte. Models are often posed after the surrounding framework is established.
“I seek ideas from Japanese art and the block printers of such Post Impressionists as Toulouse Lautrec, Mary Cassatt and Ambroise Vollard,” she acknowledges.
The muted combinations of hues that can be found in Asian art are key. Forms are carved out with intense, exaggerated dark and light values.
“Neutrals” are often strange unexpected colors that give a reflective glow to the skin. Brush strokes are allowed to be thick, buttery and honest.
Sandbulte says, “There is a spirit that I seek in those busy city moments, in the bustle of a hurried world.”
Her characters are always unaware of the viewer, and relationships between figures are unresolved. She continues, “By having the subjects flow off the borders of the canvas, I can create a feeling of intimacy, as the observer is drawn in close.”
Sandbulte received her BA degree from the School of Art and Architecture at the University of Southern California. After earning her credentials for both secondary and elementary education, she spent several years as an art instructor.
