Toward the Within

Sinclair in her studio

The artist Sidney Sinclair continues to transform. The popular representational painter has transitioned away from painting life like portraits and still life and has moved towards painting abstractly. This has become a period of flourishment for Sinclair. She took a risk at a time in her career when she was an established representational artist to move to a more intuitive, emotive style of painting. Sinclair’s new abstract style stems from a severe life change that challenged her in every way and gave her the insight and courage to experiment. She creates intuitive crosses and landscapes because, she says, they are from God and because of the events in her life she never wants to stray from a spiritual connection to her art.

Most that follow her career know that three years ago Sinclair was diagnosed with cancer. She recovered and it was a life changing event for her. Sinclair had painted crosses before, but after her ordeal they became much more meaningful.  To Sinclair, they exposed the temporariness of life and showed that God is with us. Art is the best way she knows how to express this profound significance. She remarks that most people take spirituality for granted until something makes them rely on it. Sinclair considers spirituality to be personal and she does not use religion to promote her work. She allows the viewer to make their own interpretations.   

Sinclair is grateful for her traditional teachers and training because all that she learned goes into her pieces.  Abstractions have always been a part of what she has wanted to create. Moving from representational was inevitable, natural for her. When she does a piece (whether the viewer sees it or not) there are the basic elements of good painting-design, composition, balance, line, mass and color. Sinclair says that after you know all of these things abstraction becomes intuitive.

 Abstraction for Sinclair is a progression.  It wasn’t a finite moment that brought her into that world. Over 15 years ago she saw abstract paintings that spoke to her but says she didn’t quite have the nerve to go there as a painter. However, she saw a new possibility and she sought out learning opportunities that would help her understand how to move in that direction. It was a scary and humorous experience for Sinclair and she didn’t understand her instructor’s words: “Go where the spirit leads you.” Today she gives her students the same message.  For Sinclair abstract painting is a more emotional way to paint and it makes her happiest.  It gives her the ability to let go and just paint. She is excited about the future and about what she’s doing now. Six new abstract works by Sinclair will be on display and are for sale at the J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art spring show: “Switch 36” located at the Boerne gallery this March.

 

by Gina Martinez, Art and Framing Consultant for J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art-Boerne