Painting Between Instinct and Emotion: An Interview with Sandy Bitter

Sandy Bitter’s artistic path is anything but conventional. Coming to painting later in life, she approaches the canvas not with rigid plans, but with instinct, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace the unknown. Her work emerges from an inner dialogue rather than a fixed concept, resulting in expressive, figurative compositions that capture fleeting emotions and complex human relationships. In this interview, Bitter shares how her background, influences, and evolving mindset continue to shape a practice rooted in both personal exploration and emotional connection.

Thank you for accepting our interview invitation Sandy. To begin, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Thank you for this interview - It’s actually helped me reflect a lot on my own practice. I live with my husband and adult daughter in Queens, NY. I’m a special education teacher. My mother was a painter (her mother, an illustrator) so this drawing ability appears to run in the family. Yet, my first love was music and I attended a special high school for music and dance. I took one drawing class in high school and one in college but wasn’t especially interested in it at the time. It was only years later- during Covid, when I had a lot of downtime at home-that I thought I’d try painting. I turned to YouTube to learn the basics and picked it up quickly. Since then I’ve taken some painting classes- but refining my technique was never the thing that motivated me. I was more interested in using painting as a means of expression and connection.

Do you plan your works in advance, or do they evolve while you’re making them?

My paintings don’t start with a specific concept in mind. I don’t want to be led by my head. In fact, I have a hard time visualizing how anything might look ahead of time. I listen to some inside voice that collects certain images and then I  put them together in a way that works for me on different levels (visually, content wise). They take on their own meaning. The not knowing what I will get is what I enjoy most about this process. The challenge is trusting that voice. What I love about these works is that they can be interpreted so many different ways- the meaning lies in the eyes of the beholder.

What kind of environment shaped your visual language more; where you grew up, or what you were trying to escape from?

My mother was a realistic representational painter. I felt a bit resentful toward her practice when I was young as I felt it was taking her away from  her role as my mother. I also couldn’t understand the value that it added to anyone else outside of herself and therefore I viewed it as a “selfish” practice. That could be why I showed no interest in painting until recently. And, although my style is similar to hers, I think my purpose is different in that I want to push boundaries - I rebel against traditional technique and predictability.

We see that you enjoy painting people. Who are these people? Would you consider yourself an artist who is drawn to observation?

I enjoy drawing figures for the emotion that they can evoke in me and in others. Ive always been an observer of others and am sensitive to people’s energies.

How do you know when a work is truly finished, or do you? What is your working style like? Are you a disciplined artist?

When it comes to my process I think I started out a bit too disciplined and controlled - I tend to be goal oriented so now I’m trying to take my time and be more patient- do more experimenting and be more present. In this way, my practice becomes a form of therapy in that it can extend beyond my painting practice into everyday life and help me become more present in general.

Do you believe art should comfort, disturb, or remain indifferent?

To me, Painting, or any art form , is like a mirror. It reflects the artist’s inner world. It reflects the viewer (two people can have completely different interpretations of the same piece). And it can reshape what it reflects- it can exaggerate, distort and bend reality that can reveal deeper truths that a straight forward ”reflection” might miss. 

It seems that you enjoy using vibrant colors. Could we say that your color palettes function as a language within your art?

I love color and have always been less concerned with trying to capture or imitate more realistic colors from photos or the environment than to just play around with it. I use color to shape composition- to highlight certain parts of a painting or to unify it as a whole.

Your use of layering and attention to detail clearly reflect strong technical knowledge, yet you also have a style that can express a great deal with very few brushstrokes. Do you think it is more important for an artist to develop their own language rather than rely on technical mastery?

I like painting loosely bc I love being able to see the “rawness” of a brushstroke. I choose to include details that capture what I want to highlight and not bother with those that don’t hold any significance to me. I think that artists should have some technical skill yet I feel that it’s more important that they develop their own artistic language - that’s what makes it unique and offers possibilities for self expression. When I just started painting from life and photo references, I became impatient and bored with the process of “copying” and knew right away that I was looking for something deeper.

Your works feel as if they were captured by a newly invented camera called “Sandy,” freezing a fleeting moment in time. There’s a strong sense of capturing an instant and conveying the story behind it. Were there any artists who influenced you in choosing this approach?

I am interested in human stories, emotions and relationships so I guess those are the themes that come out in my work. I’m inspired and influenced by mostly current abstract figurative painters such as Jennifer Pochinski for her loose brushwork, composition and abstract use of color; Peggy Kroll Roberts’ for her emphasis on light (values and contrast) and Rebecca Aldernet’s way of evoking emotion through symbolism.

Do you feel more in conversation with the past, or in conflict with the present?

I feel like some of my paintings have helped me process emotions from the past and others help me understand who I am presently.

If no one could see your work, would you still create? Why?

I really had to think about this question. Connecting with others is important to me and a lot of what I do is motivated by my desire to connect. Painting is, of course, one of those ways in which I can connect to other artists and be part of a community. It is also a way to move people emotionally. When I’m only creating for myself, it is more of a personal exploration meant only for me.

Are there any other forms of art you follow outside your own field, perhaps music or film you enjoy?

Music has always been my “first love”. I studied it and played instruments growing up. I also danced during and after college. I only started taking a real interest in the visual arts during Covid when I began painting. I love film. Basically anything that can move me emotionally.

Where do you hope your art will take you?

I hope that I continue to take risks, to develop my own artistic language and that the process continue to engage and excite me.

If you had to describe your art in one sentence, what would you say?

If I were to describe my art in words, they might be: figurative imagery, complicated relationships, unpredictability.

Sandy Bitter’s work resists easy definition, existing instead as an evolving dialogue between past and present, control and spontaneity. Her paintings act as mirrors—of herself and of the viewer—revealing layered emotions and unspoken narratives. As she continues to take risks and refine her unique artistic voice, Bitter’s practice remains driven by curiosity, connection, and the courage to trust the unknown.