Rosie Sandifer received her formal training in commercial art at Southwestern State University in Weatherford, OK and Art Education at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
Born in Columbia, SC Rosie and her family moved to Lubbock, TX, where the artist was reared. Trained in portrait and figure painting she began her career as a portrait artist in the 70's evolving to the third dimension of sculpture in the 80's. Later professional training came from Frank Mason and Ray Froman.
Moving to the Loveland-Ft. Collins area of CO, an artists colony in the 90's, she both painted and sculpted.
The early twenty first century finds the artist an avid plein air painter, enlarging her small sketches into large landscapes of the the western states in her vicinity.
Now settled in Santa Fe, NM with her husband Bob, Rosie is nestled into the southern edge of the Rocky Mountains, surrounded by pinon pines, blue sky, streams lakes, and the colorful cliffs of O'keeffe country.
She has traveled to paint on location and to visit the world's important museums in London, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Russia. The Tretyakov, the Sorolla, the Tate, the Musee de l'Orangerie and Brookgreen Gardens are among her favorites.
When asked what made her begin sculpting Rosie responded: "The turning point from painting to sculpture for me was running into Dega's Fourteen Year Old Ballerina sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum in NYC. I was on the way to Spain to paint plein air with a friend for a show. Upon returning I not only painted Spain rural scenes, but picked up sculpture tools and began sculpting."
She created many small gallery pieces and large commissioned sculptures, now installed all over the nation.
Her Applause, which could have been titled, Ode to Degas, was awarded the Cavanaugh Memorial Prize from the National Sculpture Society. The sold out lifesize bronze sculpture is composed in a spiral design leading the eye of the viewer around the ballerina's young body.
The early sources of inspiration for the artist were riding horses and visiting the museums of every city to which she traveled.
The most profound experience was wandering the lawns and galleries of Brookgreen Gardens in SC when Rosie was twelve years old.
Anna Hyatt Huntington's pewter Fighting Stallions grace the entrance of this historic landmark, museum, and accredited zoo.
She concludes that spending time in nature in her youth in the mountains outside of Santa Fe, NM and CO camping and riding horses has led to her living in both states.
My children were my inspiration to sculpt. Walking the Kids, mq. Another sold out edition, was awarded the Medal of Honor for Sculpture from the American Artist Professional League.
Freedom of Youth is now in the permanent collection of Brookgreen Gardens and Texas Tech University.
"Teaching both painting and sculpture has kept me learning along the way. I have taught master sculpture classes at Brookgreen. My traveling plein air paint class is called Have Paint Box Will Travel. We have met in various locations so far, such as Taos, NM; Carmel, CA; Ouray, CO; and fall is Paradise Vallery-Yellowstone area in MT. It is an exhiliarating experience to be out together painting."
Rosie participates in annual juried and invitational exhibitions including the Great American Artists-Cincinnati Museum, Sculptors Who Paint-Museum of the Southwest; Masters of American Sculpture-Fleisher Museum; Autry Plein Air Event; California Art Club, and the Wild West in Historic & Contemporary Art-Brookgreen Gardens.
She has Solo Shows at Worrell Gallery in Santa Fe, NM and NYC.
She is a Fellow member of American Artists Professional League and National Sculpture Society.
Her work is featured in the upcoming book, Artists of the National Parks.
Already published are Rosie Sandifer, the Language of Art; Texas Traditions, Comporary Artists of the Lone Star State; and Masters of American Sclupture.
She has also received awards for painting and sculpture from the Allied Artists, Audubon Artists, Pen & Brush Club, and the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Society.
