Sandra Benhaim was always interested in art and in the visual – even when she was very young. Maybe this was sparked by her childhood visits to her father’s Philadelphia sign-making shop, seeing his beautifully rendered sign “sketches,” with their crisply delineated letters and images in vibrant hues. Another inspiration, however, must have been her late uncle’s accomplished pastel self-portrait that hung in the family living room. Perhaps this is what led to Sandra’s early interest in doing representational artwork, particularly portraits, as well as landscapes and still lifes. Pursuing her dreams, she won a full scholarship to the Tyler School of Art at Temple University. In addition to her B.A in fine arts, Sandra later returned to Tyler and got an M.Ed. degree.

Lately, Sandra has created purely abstract images that express her passion for nature. She also makes collage paintings and works in oil and oil paintstick on wood panels and canvas. The world around Sandra provides nearly all the inspiration she needs. In trying to express her enthusiasm for nature and all its splendor of color and variety, she employs layers of juxtaposed color, to create a visual energy that fascinates her.

Sandra’s work is about “place” and is landscape-inspired, but it is not a representation of a specific location. The visitors to her artwork are welcome to enter these places through imagination, memory, and reverie. Her hope is that there will be many visitors.