Behind the Brushstrokes: A Conversation with Painter Sandra Berti
- Emily Hadley
- May 7
- 3 min read
Updated: May 8
Sandra Berti is a talented contemporary artist who creates stunning semi-abstract still life paintings inspired by the joy she feels when holidaying in Greece and the pleasure she gets from her garden.
Read on to discover more about her creative practice, studio snacks and her perfect dinner party guests!
What sparks your initial ideas for a piece? Is it a feeling, an image, or something else entirely? Inspiration can come from anything really. I see beauty in what some might not, whether that being a crumbling wall, a distressed doorway or a bowl of fruit to flowers gone over. I suppose mostly I am inspired by my love of The Greek Islands, especially Paxi, first visited in 1980. Pottering in my Mediterranean kitchen garden is another spark plus things I love along the way.
Do you have a specific routine or ritual to get into a creative headspace?
I’m not really a fan of routine, although I do need a bit to keep me focused. Going for a cross country run across the local fields generally clears my mind.
Do you have a plan for a piece before you start, or do you allow it to develop organically?
Generally I work on several paintings at one time, building up distressed backgrounds. Ideas come in rhythms, that’s when I jot down in the sketchbook. The finished painting is generally added at a later date when I’ve had time to think and study a background suitable for what’s in my head or sketchbook. Other times the finished piece can happen rather quickly or I may think it's finished and decide it's not quite right and literally cover it in white house paint.
Do you imagine your art in interior spaces? Is this an important part of your practice?
Oh yes, I think I do, although I’m not necessarily aware of this when I am painting.
What's your biggest "happy accident" that turned out amazing in a piece?
Hmmmm, probably when I was eating some amaretti biscuits and a wrapper landed on my unfinished painting and I thought, oooh this looks great… The wrappers are so pretty.
Do you have any lucky tools or materials you can't work without?
It has to be a couple of my really old hard brushes and my palette knife, plus an old kitchen knife. Also, white paint, I couldn't live without it... I use tons of the stuff!
What's the most challenging part of your artistic process?
Jeez… when I try to paint and I can’t!
Is there a hidden meaning or symbolism in your work that viewers might miss at first glance?
Not particularly, there may be several what I thought were finished paintings underneath.
What piece of yours are you most proud of, and why?
A piece that I first sold as a Professional Artist.
What are some tools or techniques you use that most people wouldn't expect?
An old comb, sandpaper & credit card.
If you could have your art evoke one specific emotion in a viewer, what would it be?
To be transported… delight.
Who are your artistic heroes, and how have they influenced your work?
Patrick Heron for his bold use of colour. Jean-Michelle Basquiat for his graffiti style, Barbara Hepworth for her minimal sculptures and Howard Hodgkin for his contemporary colour & space.
Does your art ever surprise you with where it ends up taking you?
Oh yes, and that is a lovely feeling of joy.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?
Definitely something creative, maybe to do with gardens or interiors or even fashion.
What are your ‘must have’ snacks and drinks when in the studio?
Lots of tea, water and grains bits… nuts, dips, breadsticks, dried fruits… sometimes a glass of wine if I’m up in Studio early eve.
What's the best piece of artistic advice you've ever received?
Not to worry about my style as that will come naturally, it cannot be forced and will evolve over time, just relax and enjoy.
You are hosting a dinner party and have invited 3 other artists (living or dead), who would be on the guest list?
Well I’m going to choose Jean-Michelle Basquiat, Patrick Heron & Barbara Hepworth… Also if it was from now, I’d like to choose Julia Morganho, Heather Chontos & Gavin Houghton.
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