Meet Sandra Mucha

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandra Mucha.

Sandra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?

Art has always interested me. It is hard to recall a time when I was not making, learning, seeing or at the very least talking about art. My decision to become a professional artist began in the early nineties; I initially majored in advertising art at the University of North Texas in their School of Visual Arts Program. I figured out very quickly in my first semester that I was a painter. I noticed how everything in visual arts was moving to computer verses freehanded artwork. So, after one semester of creating perfect marks with a compass and a Shadler ruler, I switched to their drawing and painting degree.

To put myself through school, I worked for over thirty hours a week at a textile testing laboratory. Some days, I was not sure if the charcoal stains on my clothes were from my drawing class or flammability tests at work. This position was not creative, but it was a great balance allowing me to paint my ideas at night while gaining textile knowledge during the day. I added electives of weaving and chemistry to compliment my work experience and was grateful when work would send me to textile mills.

After college, I worked as a textile designer for a major retailer. I enjoyed designing plaids and colorful prints using a stylus pen verse a mouse. Each season, the clothing brand would send me back to my birth state of New York for inspiration and trend research. I requested a higher hotel room when sent to Manhattan. These bird’s eye views of the surrounding buildings and rooftops inspirations are seen in my urban series.

Today, I enjoy the balance of painting professionally and giving back to my community. I am a visiting artist at my son’s elementary and enjoy volunteering as the photographer for his Cub Scout pack. We have a rescue terrier mix dog named Norman “Rocky” Bear. I live and create in Richardson, TX with the support of my wonderful family.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have always been open to see where my artistic style leads me. Looking back, I see how switching careers increased my value as an artist. I was hired as a floral designer based on my flora and fauna painting portfolio, and then as a Textile Designer based on my painting portfolio of cityscapes and textile science experience.

After my career in fashion, I taught art at my own after-school program while raising our son. It was a struggle to paint during this time. Oil painting was not ideal when raising a child, so I taught myself how to use safer acrylic paints and techniques. I plan to return to oils in the near future, and clients sometimes think my acrylic works are in oil. A few years ago, we lost our first rescue dog. My son requested that I paint his portrait to help us heal from the loss. This has to a rewarding service of helping others deal when I am not busy painting my other playful perspectives.  I enjoy celebrating the pets with a photorealistic style and add comforting eyes that follow you known as the “Mona Lisa effect.”

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I specialize in working with commercial and residential interior designers and architects. My playful two-dimensional paintings on canvas give the viewer a moment to be immersed in an underlying sense of calm and wonder. I am currently working on a San Francisco series continuing my cityscape, rooftop and my textured bird series.

In my three-dimensional city and bird series, I work with a thick modeling paste and a palette knife. These dimensional designs have their own intrigue. Everyone wants to touch them. When interior designers and art collectors visit my art studio, I have a designated “Please Do Touch!” textured piece saved for this purpose. I have received awards and scholarships for my artwork, but seeing my students winning five consecutive years at our local Richardson’s Wildflower Music and Art festival student contest was an exciting moment for me.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My interest in bending shapes started at an early age. I recalls the  first time twisting and stretching a transferred newspaper comic with  Silly Putty. My tilted and curvilinear images are also been influenced  by living in these extreme temperatures and different terrains. I was  uprooted from whirling blizzards of western New York to the melting and  sometimes visually warping flatlands of Texas summers at a young age. I  was always excited to fly back to Buffalo, New York and see visit  downtown to see the Spanish Renaissance architecture and Museums. A trip  to the Albright-Knox Art Museum and experiencing the grand perspective  effects of Lucas Samaras’ Mirrored Room art installation is one of my  fondest memories. Its infinite reflections and memories of entering into  the piece in socks felt like flying.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sandramucha.com
• Phone: 972-729-9026
• Email: sandra@sandramucha.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandramucha.artwork/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraMuchaArtwork/
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-mucha-artist-24225b11/

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