Manon Sander

At a young age I loved spending my days either roaming around the Bavarian village and later metropolitan Berlin where I grew up, or drawing and painting. It’s exactly the same combination that turned out to fulfill me in the adult part of my life: Scouting out new painting spots or going on a walk, just to discover by chance a scene or a subject that is just waiting to be painted feels like a great day. Actually painting what grabs my attention turns the day into fantastic.

During a decade and a half of painting murals professionally in Chicago and studying oil painting under the tutelage of well known Californian painters in San Francisco and southern California, I developed my own distinct style, cherished by collectors and students alike.

In August 2010 I entered a new phase when once again my family and I moved, this time to sunny, buggy and wonderful Florida. I am thrilled because it provides me with a never ending stream of inspiration. Having always been drawn to water and feeling a strong connection to the ocean I’m inspired by many things you find when you visit the sea shore: The sunlight creating lavender shadows on people’s white clothing when they walk by the water’s edge, by surfers and paddle boarders catching an aquamarine wave, by boats,  sea creatures and birds calling the ocean and beach their home. When the “sunny and buggy” part about Florida gets a little too much I still have no shortage of things to paint in the studio. I paint things in my neighborhood, things of my daily life which seem ordinary, but for me it’s less about what I’m actually painting and more about my fascination with the effect of light on objects.

Painting in oil, oftentimes from life, I put my impressions down in thick juicy brush strokes, aiming to capture the essence and the light on my subject matter and the feelings it evokes in me. I aim to share my love of life through paintings that reflect the color, light and joy I am surrounded by and am ever so grateful for.