Sandy Haddock

Sandy Haddock is a throwback to a time when we walked the earth in greater harmony with nature. She understands that one of our primary purposes in life is to appreciate, and if we are lucky enough, enhance the beauty around us. Drawing on her background as a Montessori nursery school teacher, Sandy was inspired by the wonder and enthusiasm of the children she taught, who seemed to live life entirely in the moment. Life appeared more colourful and vivid when looked at through their perspective. This sense of play, combined with a lifelong love of dance and movement, informs Sandy’s practice, allowing her to capture the rhythmic energy of the world around her.

Sandy studied graphic design at Canterbury College of Art before embarking on a diverse career in the art industry, working for an advertising agency, a printing company, and then a Mayfair Art Gallery. A former prize-winner in a V&A children’s storybook competition, Sandy now dedicates her retirement to creating land and seascapes, as well as producing pet portraits to benefit a children’s cancer charity. Living in Kent with her husband and their dog, Sasi, Sandy can often be found along the coasts of Deal, Sandwich, and Broadstairs, where she frequently sketches en plein air to capture the shifting light and salt-misted atmosphere of the shoreline.

Working primarily in acrylics, Sandy often incorporates sand and glue into her canvases to create a more textured finish. Loving nothing more than the scent of the sea, the rush of the wind, and the shifting light, the act of painting for Sandy is a direct sensory response to the ‘ever-changing colours and movement’ of her surroundings. She is particularly drawn to the coasts around Sandwich and Broadstairs, where the changing light can transform the horizon in the blink of an eye.

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