ABOUT THE ARTIST
Arlington, Virginia artist Sandi Parker works in oil, pastel and acrylic, specializing in impressionistic landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, youth sports portraits and abstracts.
She is on the Board of Directors of the Arlington Artists Alliance in Arlington, Virginia and is a member of the Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, Falls Church Arts in Falls Church, VA and the Rehoboth Art League in Rehoboth, Delaware. She was the Director of the Arlington Artists Alliance's juried gallery, Gallery Underground, in Arlington, VA from its inception in 2012 until her retirement in 2021, and is still an exhibiting member there. She exhibits at venues throughout Arlington, and at area art shows. She was accepted by jury for a solo show of abstract works, Urban Edge, at Gallery Underground in 2016 and again for a dual solo show of abstracts, Words Matter, in 2021. She was chosen for a large-scale public art installation by the National Landing Business Improvement District (NLBID) in Arlington for their public art project. Her pieces Energie Violette I and Energie Violette II were enlarged to 10 feet by 10 feet and installed in Crystal City from 2016 - 2023.
Public Art Installation, 12th St & Army Navy Drive, Arlington VA
Artist's Statement
I enjoy painting in different mediums and styles, working in both traditional impressionism and abstract. In my more traditional work, I have long enjoyed re-creating on canvas the beauty of landscapes found on national and international travels. I love painting the excitement and energy of cities in my cityscapes, especially New York and Washington DC, where I live. As an avid gardener, painting landscapes of gardens, and anything involving the brilliant hues of flowers brings me joy; and as a lifelong beach lover, in my seascapes I strive to create the serene mood through the colors of ocean and sky that I feel on summer beach vacations. I also became fascinated with painting portraits of youth sports when my son and daughter were on teams in school, and I continue to capture young people’s energy, drama and movement during games, matches and meets via commissions from parents.
My abstracts are particularly influenced by street art and graffiti, and sometimes by the texture of decaying urban walls. These pieces - mostly larger in scale - are done in acrylic, and are highly layered and textured. They often include other media such as graphite pencil, oil crayon, metal leaf, collaging, and photo transfer techniques. I use a variety of non-brush tools such as palette knives, putty knives and sandpaper. My most recent abstracts, my "Words Matter" series, incorporate inspirational messages and quotations. I have also done commissions of canvases mimicking graffiti-covered walls, personalized to the client's specifications with meaningful names, dates, etc., all done in graffiti style.
My home studio in Arlington is my happy place, and I can frequently be found there at my easel, in summer with the windows open overlooking my garden and bird feeder, and in winter with a fire going and a cat or two at my feet.
Awards
2019 Third Place, A Day at the Beach
FIRE EARTH AIR WATER
Arlington Artists Alliance juried exhibition
Juror: Nancy Pane Fortwengler, Fine Artist and President, Art League of Alexandria
2018 Best in Show, Ohio Sunset
The Power of Nature
Arlington Artists Alliance juried exhibition
Juror: Lilian Thomas Burwell, famed Washington DC sculptor and painter
2016 Honorable Mention, One City, One World
Art League monthly juried exhibition, September
Juror: Amy Klainer, studio artist, designer, and art jeweler based in Towson, MD.
2015 Honorable Mention, It Doesn't End Here
Art In City Hall Juried Show (Art League, Del Ray Artisans,
Alexandria Commission for the Arts)
Juror: Frank Phillips, Director/Curator, Angie Newman Johnson Gallery
2012 Best in Show, Crosswords Under the Cherry Blossoms
Washington Examiner "Capitol View" Juried Show
Juror: Liz Wolf
2011 Honorable Mention, Cheering From The Dugout
Art In City Hall Juried Show (Art League, Del Ray Artisans,
Alexandria Commission for the Arts)
Juror: Ginger Hammer, National Gallery of Art Washington DC
2009 Third Place, Hong Kong Marketplace
Arlington Artists Alliance "East Meets West" Juried Show
Juror: Wilford Scott, National Gallery of Art Washington DC
2007 Honorable Mention, Darke County, Ohio
Art League monthly juried exhibition, October
Juror: Marlene Rothacker, International Arts & Artists,
Washington DC
Solo Shows
2021 Words Matter (dual show)
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
2016 Urban Edge
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
2012 Spring Into Summer
Westover Library, Arlington, VA
2011 inMOTION: celebrating arlington high school athletics
Cassatt's Cafe and Gallery, Arlington, VA; Westover Library,
Arlington, VA; Curves, Falls Church, VA; Cosi Cafe, Arlington, VA
2007 Landscapes and Little League
Century 21 Gallery, Arlington, VA
Selected Juried Exhibitions - Work Accepted:
2023 "Luminous"
Falls Church Arts, Falls Church, VA
Juror: Tara Barr, artist
2023 "Street Life: Real Life Reimagined"
Falls Church Arts, Falls Church, VA
Juror: Adam Odomore, artist
2023 April Juried Show
The Art League, Arlington, VA
Juror: Mike Morgan
2022 "Scapes"
National Juried Show
Falls Church Arts, Falls Church, VA
Juror: Bryan Jernigan, artist and instructor
2022 "Tell Me Your Secret"
National Juried Show
LibertyTown Arts Workshop, Fredericksburg, VA
2022 "Black and White"
Member Juried Show
Falls Church Arts, Falls Church, VA
Juror: Bev Ryan, artist and instructor
2021 "Magic of the Ordinary"
National Juried Show
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
Juror: Lois Wolford, Watercolor artist
2020 "Seasons: Summer"
Rehoboth Art League, Rehoboth, Delaware
Juror: Brooke Hedge, Fine Art Photographer
2019 "FIRE EARTH AIR WATER"
Arlington Artists Alliance Juried Show
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
Juror: Nancy Pane Fortwengler, Fine Artist and President, Art League of Alexandria
Winner, 3rd Place, "A Day at the Beach"
2019 "RISK"
National Juried Show
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
Juror: Allen Bentley, Artist and instructor, Montgomery College
2019 "Signs of the Times"
National Juried Show
Gallery Clarendon, Arlington, VA
Juror: Beverly Ryan, Artist and Instructor, Art League School
2018 "The Power of Nature"
Arlington Artists Alliance Juried Show
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
Juror: Lilian Thomas Burwell, famed Washington DC sculptor and painter
Winner, Best in Show, "Ohio Sunset"
2017 "This is America"
National Juried Show
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
Juror: Marsha Staiger, Artist and Instructor, Art League School
2017 "Doubt"
Juried Show
The Art League, Alexandria, VA
Juror: Jason Gubbiotti, Artist
2017 "Culture Shock" National Juried Show
Target Gallery, Arlington, VA
Juror: Mojdeh Rezaeipour, Artist and NPR Storyteller
2017 "Around the World"
Arlington Artists Alliance Juried Show
Gallery Underground, Arlington, VA
2017 "Resist" National Juried Show
Zenith Gallery (Washington DC) and Busboys and Poets (Shirlington, Washington DC and Arlington, VA)
Jurors: Carol Rhodes Dyson, Art Administrator, Educator and Curator; Margery Goldberg, Zenith Gallery
Owner/Curator and Celinda Lake, Pollster and Political Strategist for Progressives.
2016 "Art as Politics" National Juried Show
Touchstone Gallery, Washington, DC
Juror: Jayme McLellan, Director/Founder, Civilian Art Projects
2015 "Hiding in Plain Sight" Juried Show
Arlington Artists Alliance
Gallery Underground
Juror: Jean Gill, artist, AWS, NWS
2015 "Art in City Hall" Juried Show
Honorable Mention, It Doesn't End Here
The Art League, Alexandria, VA
Juror, Frank Phillips, Director/Curator, Angie Newman Johnson Gallery
2014 "World Aesthetic" Juried Show
Arlington Artists Alliance
Gallery Underground
Juror: Alice Kale, artist, VWS, BWS, PVW
2013 "Walk on the Wild Side" Juried Show
Arlington Artists Alliance
Gallery Underground
Juror: DeAnna Boling, artist, PSA, AFCF
2012 "Capital View" Juried Show
The Washington Examiner
Juror: Liz Wolf, Faculty, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Winner, Best in Show, "Crosswords Under the Cherry Blossoms"
2011 "Art in City Hall" Juried Show (3 pieces accepted)
The Art League, Del Ray Artisans and Torpedo Factory Artists Association, Alexandria, Virginia
Juror: Ginger Hammer, Nat'l Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Winner, Honorable Mention, "Cheering From the Dugout"
2010 "Art in City Hall" Juried Show (2 pieces accepted)
The Art League, Del Ray Artisans and Torpedo Factory Artists Association
Alexandria, Virginia
Juror: Liz Vorlicek, Co-curator, Angie Newman Johnson
Gallery
2010 "Reflecting Women's Wellness 2010" Juried Show
Women's Health Virginia
In conjunction with "Minds Wide Open: Virginia celebrates Women in the Arts"
Richmond, Virginia
Jurors: Andrea Douglas, Curator of Collections and Exhibits, University of Virginia Art Museum;
Maggie Guggenheimer, Executive Director, Piedmont Council for the Arts;
Holly Morrison, Chair, Dept. of Painting and Printmaking, Virginia Commonwealth University
2010 "HerStory" Juried Show
In conjunction with "Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts"
The Art League, Alexandria, Virginia
Juror: Barbara Ratchko, Artist
2010 "La Femme" Juried Show
In conjunction with "Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts"
Arlington Artists Alliance, Arlington, Virginia
Cassatt's Cafe and Gallery
Juror: Kathrin Halpern, Smithsonian Art Collectors Program
2009 "Art in City Hall: Our Town" Juried Show
The Art League, Del Ray Artisans and Torpedo Factory Artists Association
City Hall, Alexandria, Virginia
Juror: Chris Haggerty, Professor of Art, Marymount University
2009 "Point of View" Juried Show
Margaret W. and Joseph L. Fisher Gallery, Alexandria, Virginia
Juror: Linda Hafer, Executive Director, The Art League, Alexandria, VA
2009 "East Meets West" Juried Show
Arlington Artists Alliance, Arlington, Virginia
Century 21 Gallery
Juror: Wilford Scott, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Winner, Honorable Mention, "Hong Kong Marketplace"
2008 "Art in City Hall" Biannual Juried Show
The Art League, Del Ray Artisans and Torpedo Factory Artists Association
City Hall, Alexandria, Virginia
Juror: Beth Baldwin, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington, DC
2007 "Irreplaceable Hue" Juried Show
Arlington Artists Alliance, Arlington, VA
Cassatts Cafe and Gallery
Juror: Sam Gilliam, renowned Color School artist, Washington, DC
Memberships
Arlington Artists Alliance, Arlington, VA
The Art League, Alexandria, VA
Falls Church Arts, Falls Church, VA
Rehoboth Art League, Rehoboth, Delaware