Toulouse

Alenna Marie Sandy is a self-taught, mixed-media and collage artist. Her style of work explores the dreamlike, dark and nostalgic elements of the past as well as the present. Utilizing vintage ephemera, she attempts to create a sense of continuum with the past, and her interests lie in exploring the individual’s connection with history, conscious or unconscious.

Undercurrents of humor and a nod to pop culture also infiltrate her work and any medium is up for grabs as she creates her pieces, such as latex paint, keys, and layers of charcoal drawings.

Alenna's influences include the work of "Robert Rauschenberg":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rauschenberg, "Lee Bontecou":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Bontecou and "Camille Claudel":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camille_Claudel, as well as the vagaries of nature and the macabre sentiments of the Dark Ages. As a working artist, she is especially pleased to have had the opportunity to keep a studio in the historic "Fine Arts Building":http://www.fineartsbuilding.com in downtown Chicago and participate in many open houses and art exhibits within its walls.

Currently living in Austin, Texas, her new work will focus on painting with hot wax, interspersed with collage, and partially funded by a grant from the "Chicago Arts Assistance Program":http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/provdrs/grants/svcs/caap_applicationsummary.html for a series of pieces in the medium of "encaustic":http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encaustic_painting.