Artist Sandy Philips wins Nature Coast Art League’s May Artist of the Month
Who hasn’t spent time drawing dots, squiggly lines, faces and flowers instead of taking notes during a lecture or a seemingly endless meeting? If you’ve done that, then you’re in excellent company. This is how Spring Hill resident, Sandy Philips, began her artistic career.
Philips won this month’s Nature Coast Art League Artist of the Month for an outstanding pencil drawing of a horse that displayed her expertise in using light and dark to create depth and dimension. “I was always a doodler,” she said. “I’d be chatting on the phone with my school friends, but I’d be doodling at the same time.”
As with most artists, Philips knew she loved art and drawing from a young age. “I was the proud recipient of an art scholarship, but it was for a college in New York, and I decided I didn’t want to venture into the city,” said Philips.
Although she has been drawing since her teens, career and family came first and art became her hobby. Nevertheless, art has always played a vital role in her life. She instead took classes with some very talented teachers in New Jersey and discovered she loved art that explores how light and dark create depth, form and dramatic impact.
“I love any artist that uses a lot of light; light that plays with light and dark, because I just think that’s so very important in any work of art,” she said. “Light touches everything around us.”
Philips’ love of art comes from her grandfather. “He was an oil painter and created very detailed work, which is what I do,” she said. “Yes, he definitely influenced me. He was a lace designer and was from Switzerland.”
When choosing her medium for any particular piece, Philips said her favorite medium is the pencil, but a close second is the airbrush.
Inspiration for her subjects comes from her own experiences and direct observation of the world. She is an artist of extraordinary talent. Using only a pencil or an airbrush, she can capture a likeness with such clarity that you could be forgiven for believing you are looking at a photograph. Her attention to detail and precision of each stroke on the canvas is what makes her art look photographic.
Philips has a long-standing relationship with drawing animals. She has created several paintings in exquisite detail of a variety of animals during her time as an airbrush artist. She particularly loves cats, but her art gallery also boasts horses, seagulls, lions, tigers, raccoons, and turtles in various realistic poses and expressions.
“Whether they be wildlife or domestic animals, they are all here for our enjoyment,” she said.
Philips is proud to be an active Nature Coast Art League member, whose mission is to promote visual arts and support artists in Hernando County and surrounding areas. “I read an article regarding the Nature Coast Art League and decided to attend their meeting,” she said. “I met a wonderful group of artists and knew it was the group for me.”
Philips’ work isn’t just confined to canvas. In 2024, there was a call for 20 artists to paint life-sized mermaid statues to be permanently installed throughout Hernando County along the Mermaid Tale Trail.
“I submitted three different designs, and they selected ‘Merrow,’” she said. “She’s painted with automobile paint and is located at the Weeki Wachee Area Club & Area Watch on the Mermaid Tale Trail.”
Philips is a multi-award-winning artist. “I have won many awards over the years, such as the Annual Regional Exhibition, Ringwood Manor Annual Fall Open Exhibition, Ridgewood Art Institute Regional Open Jury Show, Ridgewood Art Institute Grand National Exhibition, and Community Arts Association National Open Exhibition,” she said.
“I was awarded Artist of the Year by the Hudson Artists as well as my solo show, ‘Years in the Making.’ I received an Award of Excellence from Manhattan Arts International and was a finalist in the Artist’s Magazine All Media Art Competition.”
In the future, Sandy hopes to spread and share her love for art — in the role of a teacher and mentor, to inspire others. “I so much would love to get involved in teaching and encourage others to follow their hearts through art,” she said. “Artists are wired differently, and to deny the urge to draw or paint is an impossibility.”
Sandy’s work will be exhibited at the Spring Hill Library at 9220 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill, FL 34608 for the month of May. Visit Instagram @sphilips321 to view her virtual gallery. To contact Sandy directly or for more information, email her at [email protected] or call 201.410.1094.
