ABOUT ME
Sandy Wager is a visual artist with disabilities, living and working as a multi-media artist in Plymouth, Devon, UK. Part of her life she lived sofa hopping, living outside and in a shed. As a child she began her artistic life at primary school in Eton Wick where in her 9th year of age won 1st prize in the Berkshire Art Awards and saw her first artwork, "Horse Race Day At Ascot" displaye
d in The Farnham Road, Slough Community Halls. The year after Sandy came 2nd place with her "Deep Sea Diver" Artwork in the Berkshire Art Awards.
At the age of 12 Sandy briefly attended Westgate Secondary School until she reallocated, with her family to Basingstoke, Reading and then Didcot in Oxfordshire. Sadly, Sandy was not encouraged to carry on with her artwork at School, but took to a new young life as a musician and lead singer from 1967 with her band, Sandy's Set.
Sandy's life softened down with her new life as a young Mum with a newly born son, Shane, in 1972, and as her son grew up, often helped Shane with his art. Sandy loved to draw and colour cartoons for Shane, often making up her own cartoon characters which are still in her Sketch books today. It was not until Sandy was in her 3rd Marriage, and at the age of 56 she was found to be in her lowest of mental & physical health disabilities when her husband, Allan, gave her the most amazing Christmas Day gift of a complete Art Set. This gift change her life for the best! Sandy immediately became in love with art and gradually began to enjoy life again. In 2014 Sandy became, and has remained, a Volunteer for The Whitleigh Big Local as the Resident Artist. A year later Sandy founded Whitleigh Arts where she ran art groups and 1 to 1 art training with children, adults and residents with disabilities. By 2022 Sandy has completed many outdoor art projects and murals, including, organising an eight month Whitleigh Word Festival in 2015. Sandy has also encouraged local residents to "Come Out" and show off their arty talents including, Singers, Musicians, Dancers, Comedy Acts, Poets, Writers and many more. Sandy has organised Free Book Hunts, Helped raise money for the Residents & Victims Families of Keyham, and organised the making of bespoke park benches throughout Whitleigh. Sandy is a great believer in 'Art Recovery', from the lowest forms of depression, be it music, art, crafts, dance or words, of which, are free forms of mental health recovery. ABOUT SANDY WAGER'S WORK
In her work Sandy prefers to use acrylic paint but also uses ink, graphite, watercolours and
recycled items. Sandy uses humour (Sometimes quite dark forms of humour) and includes people who have disabilities in her artworks. Her main style of painting is Naive but also has a love for painting Flowers,
Mild Surrealism, Sea, Sky and Landscapes. Sandy also designs Greetings Cards, Miniature Clay Foody Things, Rock Art, Exterior Murals, Memorial Stones and also repairs & Upcycles
damaged and aged art items. Sandy Wager is an Honorary & Juried Member of The Association of British Naive Artists and has exhibited her work in Bristol, Plymouth, Portsmouth, St Ives, Hertfordshire, Chichester, Mousehole, Oxfordshire and Ukraine, having also sold her work to collectors in Australia, Italy, France, Belgium and America. Sandy is always happy to accept commissions. You can buy value prints, posters and greetings cards of her work here at Fine Art America
AWARDS
The Technicolour Abstract Art Award for
FRUITY TUNES
The Colour, DEEP, DARK, RICH Award for
THE BRIGHT LIGHTS
Award Winner in The Darkness Falls Challenge
HOW MUCH FURTHER DADDY
Award Winner in The Award Tree
ARE WE THERE YET DADDY
Runner-up in The Road Ahead Challenge
LOOKING AHEAD
Sandy Wager, Top artists this week (week 2, 2012) with
"The Stooks At Winkleigh"
Art www.squidoo.com
The Best of Zazzle Weekly showcases some of the best original art, photography and design on zazzle.com. Family Arts Campaign Award via Arts Council England 2018
PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS
Cornerstones Art Centre, Didcot, Oxon, UK - 13th March until 18th April 2010. Plymouth Argyle Function Suite (Twestival), Plymouth, Devon, UK - 25th March 2010
The New Continental Hotel, Plymouth, Devon, UK - 12th June 2010
The Crypt Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall, UK - 6th November until 19th November 2010
The New Bere Alston Bowling Club & Gallery, Bere Alston, Yelverton, Devon, UK - from 26th November 2010 (Ongoing)
Broadwalk Arts, Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Knowle, Bristol 27th March- 9th April 2011
The Batter Street Studio, Plymouth Arts Centre, Looe Street, Plymouth, Devon. In conjunction with U:1 Artist Collective. Public entry May 10th-13th 2011. Cornerstone Art Centre, 25, Station Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire from 1st July until 14th August 2011. The Crypt Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall. 'Celebrations Exhibition' 9th July until 22nd July 2011
'Washing Line Art' solo exhibition of my work for the BAS7 Fringe every Sunday throughout September and October 2011. Art & Crafts Community Day, Saint Chad's Church Hall, Whitleigh, Plymouth. Monday 26th March 2012
Delamore House Gallery, Ivybridge, Devon. In conjunction with the Association of British Naive Artists throughout May 2012
Flags On The Shore
A range of artistic mediums on the Westcliff Zig-Zag overlooking Bournemouth beach on May 7th 2012. http://flags-on-the-shore.tumblr.com/page/2
The Noah's Ark, Mousehole, Cornwall. Throughout June 2012. The Plough Art Centre, Torrington, North Devon. September 2012
Whitleigh Green Christmas Art Market. Plymouth, Devon. December 2012
The Gloss Art Gallery, Exeter, Devon. March - May 2013
Plymouth Council House, Devon. May - July 2013
Portraiture Exhibition, 'Facing the City' at The Art Gallery, 30,Stanley Road, Liverpool. July 2013
The Mariners Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall. August 2013
The Little Picture Gallery, Mousehole, Cornwall. Throughout 2013 until 2016
St Chads Christmas Craft Fair, Whitleigh, Plymouth. 19th November 2013. Whitleigh Community Primary School, Plymouth. December 13th 2013
Whitleigh Green Community steps mural. July 2014
The Little Picture Gallery in Mousehole from 18th July until 15th August 2015. The Whitleigh Words Festival (Curator) 21st March until 3rd October 2015
CAN Arts, Plymouth Art College. As Guest Speaker. 21st January 2016
The John Rank Gallery, at the Oxmarket Centre of Arts in Chichester Sussex
Monday 18th – Sunday 31st July 2016. The Crypt Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall – 6th – 19th August 2016.
The Barreled Up Exhibition & Auction
Studio 102, 102 Vauxhall St, Plymouth PL4 0DD
Monday 22nd August 2016 until Friday 26th August 2016. Solomon Browne Hall, Duck Street, Mousehole, Cornwall,
Monday 22nd August – Sunday 4th September 2016. Continual Exhibition of my work from April 2018 at a London Bar called Gallery 84 and is in East Molesey, Surrey. https://www.gallery84bar.com/
The Whitleigh Bench Project - March 2018 until Spring 2019 - https://www.facebook.com/groups/760720490622697/
Art Class - Four week course on 'How To Make A Sketch Book' from January until February 2019
09/03/19 - 22/03/19 - Association Of British Naive Artists Exhibition at St Ives Exhibition
05/05/19 - Introduction of The WellBeing Arts Group Collaboration, Plymouth (Ongoing)
21/09/20 - 02/09/21 - Street Art on Whitleigh Bridge, Plymouth
November 2021 - Ukraine Art Exhibition & Online Q&A's
April - June 2023 - Mosaic placed at Whitleigh Green - Collaboration with The Whitleigh Wellbeing Arts Group
June 2023 - Stop Motion Film - Collaboration with The Whitleigh Wellbeing Arts Group
