Artist bio

If you ask Sanah, she will attest to the fact that she has always been an artist, but that aspect of her wasn't cultivated until later on in life. Color, patterns or fabric designs would take her into unchartered territories and often times, they became the foundation and backdrop to a portrait idea, a process she still carries with her to this day. Her paintings are a combination of mixed media involving acrylic paint, collage elements, photography and hyperrealism. When people reflect on her work, she wants them to enjoy the aesthetic aspect as well as the written component without having to wonder what the artist was thinking. Currently, Sanah runs her own business with her husband Reginal called “Salvation Thru Art”. You can see there murals throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area on walls in corporate buildings, restaurants, community centers, homes and libraries. A majority of there murals are of people within the community. Sanah’s main source of inspiration and motivation within her work are her own personal life experiences and everyday people she encounters. She believes these everyday people are already famous and have just as much value as our current celebrities, whom many people look up to. She believes our society has become so desensitized to the fact there are people all around us hurting and the world is looking for an answer. The world, these people need to be infused with Love, once again. Sanah feels no matter how old or young you are, everyone has something to contribute to society. For her, it’s giving back through motivation, inspiration and love for people which she has embraced and presented through her artwork. She is drawn to tell the story of people’s personal struggles, successes, overcoming those issues and rising above the social issues they may face on a daily basis. She is inspired to do this because of the need to help others discover their identity and strengths. She is inspired to help others realize and understand the importance of who they are and to know they have been created with a purpose, a purpose which are needed and therefore adds value to this life and this world. She is most impacted by young people because they have, at times, been overlooked by society and have fallen victim to the unrealistic expectations fueled by social media, parents, teachers and peers regarding their bodies, self-image, identity and purpose. Sanah’s goal is to help them extinguish these lies and misconceptions and ignite a sense of self-worth and purpose, no one can ever take away from them. She wants them to see clearly how beautiful and worthy they truly are. Sanah has been able to make a huge impact in many communities by providing summer camps and mentorship programs to the youth which include programs that vary from entrepreneurship, rediscovering nature, love of community, vision, self-determination, facing social issues, self-development, creativity, bridging generational gaps, therapy, and cultural awareness, just to name a few things. She was able to accomplish this by simply handing these children and adults, a palette of paint paint and a paint brush. These programs have helped and touched the lives of hundreds of kids and families. Sanah is passionate and driven about Art and feels it is often a career overlooked and seen as not important or as lucrative but she feels like the world cannot live without art. All people need and partake in art on a regular basis, thru television, music, movies, and all facets of entertainment. These are all forms of art. Sanah decided to further her education in art to better equip and educated herself to be able to navigate through and around whatever is thrown her way; art can be quite challenging at times. But more importantly, it has allowed her to transcend and challenge the limits of her own creativity. She is currently attending University of North Texas pursuing her Bachelors in Studio Art and Sculpture. She hopes to go right into her Masters of Fine Art once she graduates in Art Therapy. Sanah understands her experiences in life and education (past, present and future) will give her the tools she needs to help others push past their limits; challenging and inspiring them to the greatness they already have within. Sanah’s future goals include publishing books centered on how to find one’s God given purpose, traveling to schools to do motivational speaking about how Art can impact change in people lives and developing her own Art series is focused on youth empowerment. Reginal Bowers I Am…a product of an abusive father, being molested by an older childhood family friend, an absent father to two children and many failed relationships. I have gotten back up from many failures and understand it is only by the Grace of God I stand before you today. I spent 24 years in the military and once I retired started my second career in social work. I have always wanted to work with young people and I have always wanted to be a Father. I have longed to inspire others, our young men and women, to fulfill their dreams and to help them rise to their fullest potential. I believe art is the vessel that gives our young men and women an outlet to express themselves and to tap into a part of themselves that has often times been suppressed. Art has always been the outlet which has allowed me to find peace, art has always been a way for me to find healing. The art we create is designed to speak to the soul and the spirit of those who observe it. For so long, as a people, we have been told this lie of who we truly are. Art brings forth our true nature, we were created to create and when this natural trait is pushed to the side it extinguishes the fire deep inside of us. We are here to reignite the fire and natural passion of our true being. I want to be the fire starter, the match to ignite the flames in our youth, who will usher in true change, justice and righteousness. Everything we do is for the Glory of God...nothing else.

Title

Formidable Force

Medium/Genre

Mixed Media

Artist Statement

My process is tedious but well worth it. Like any awesome work of art its really the passion behind the vision that pushes forward the concept.

Formidable Force came to me dream when I woke up I sketched out the idea and started the 3 month long process of bringing it to life. The beginning step was to find a model to pose for the painting. Andreas is a ambitious your High School track star that was eager to pose for the painting. After photographing him I create a digital spreadsheet in my Mac of what the painting will look like, this includes researched photos for the background and the overlaying of images of words.

The painting was done in Acrylic 1st then oil paint for the folds on the clothing. The face took about 15 hours. After the painting is complete we put it out on a table and begin to cut, burn and glue the reference pictures to put into the shape of Africa.

Once the painting is complete its time for the construction of the box. This starts with a trip to my favorite spot, HOME DEPOT! The box took about 2 weeks to make, we decided on a black oil stained exterior and a distressed wood finish. The led lighting is installed inside the box and has a switch at the top that is concealed by the frame. The led lights are remote control operated and can be adjusted to different lighting effects.

The last step is to hand paint the wording on the inside of the plexiglass. To do this I use a print out that is reversed and taped on the outside of the glass. I then put on a Netflix series and paint the words in gold metallic paint. This process takes about a day because the gold paint is so transparent on the glass that it has to be painted about 5 times to make it appear more opaque.

Now time for the best part, to see it all lit up with everything completed.
We get a cool glass of lemonade, stand back and look at the masterpiece God has created through us.

How it fits into contest

An epiphany is a surprising and fulfilling break thru from the result of a lifelong process in which the efforts of many begin to bear fruit. The efforts of those who have fought long and hard in the trenches for equality and freedom continues to fuel the struggles and achievements of those who stand and fight today. They planted the seeds; the results have been an epiphany for many.

Today’s generation of young adults are being ushered to take their position in society and to be the best they can be. The ancestors have already set the path for them to be successful. The blood has been spilled for generations and it's now their responsibility to carry the baton.

The same blood that runs thru our veins is the same blood as our ancestors hundreds of years ago and now in this generation we may finally be able to obtain some of the dreams and aspirations they were not afforded. The reward for all their hard work, the blood, the sweat, and the tears, now belongs to us. The legacy is being passed on.

My painting titled “Formidable Force” is about an epiphany moment. The moment when we all have come to realize we are on a time sensitive mission to fulfill the legacy from past generations to those of the present and those to come.

The young man’s stance, a sprinting position, adds to the overall feeling of the urgency of this mission. He wears a crown because we are all heirs in God’s Kingdom, no matter what ethnic background we come from. We are all children of God; brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. The butterfly symbolizes the rebirth and new beginnings; every new life is an opportunity for a new beginning. The words “all roads lead back home”, remind us we must remember the past and understand who we are in order to have the right perspective on where our future is headed. This is the epiphany we must all come to realize.

The words “Amen and So Be It” are being whispered in the background. It serves as a reminder of how the prayers of the ancestors continue to move us forward to the revelation of the epiphany we seek. Amen means so be it, certainly or truth. The power and influence of the ancestor's prayers are being realized. They knew the seeds they planted could not be killed and would one day grow roots, rising to be stronger than before, with wisdom, grace, and ambition.

As we stand today in the midst of change and revolution, we realize this fight we are in is much deeper than the protest, Juneteenth, slavery, Jim Crow, Black Lives Matter, Republican vs Democrat and all the changes being made on behalf of the current movement. Now don’t get me wrong, all those things matter, but they are of this world, the natural. The real fight is one of a Spiritual Nature and requires tactics and measures of The Spirit.

The Full Armor of God provides US with these measures and in conjunction with our Faith makes us unstoppable. We not only stand on our faith in God but also on the faith and courage of those who came before us and those who are to come after us.

The very essence of Man’s original instructions to reign and rule, what we’re called to do as Children of God requires the Armor of God. Without the Armor, the faith and courage of those who have come before us we are defeated, with the Armor the Victory is Already Won.

Credits

Reginal Bowers - Helped assemble collage.
Christopher Waller - Carpenter, Built shadow box and installed LED lighting.
Jimmy Saint - Carpenter, Built shadow box and installed LED lighting.

How to Purchase this Artwork

Formidable Force is an original piece
The sale price is listed as $9,500.00

Other Goods & Services Available from this Artist

We do painting workshops, classes , art camps, commissions and murals .

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