I never had an art lesson in my life.

But it was 2003 and this Grandma Moses had no idea what would deposit itself on the canvas when I finally followed the encouragement of Greenville artist Teri Pena who said "just pick up the brush and see what happens."

Less than 2 years later, and still following Teri Pena's urging to just "pick up the brush" I had sold my first painting to a private collector in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

A short time later I was asked by a poet to design illustrations for a book of original children's poems.

By October, 2004 my work had been exhibited publicly for the first time at the Greenville, South Carolina Visual Arts Exhibition "Arts From Our Hearts - Creative Expressions of Loving, Caring and Sharing". This exhibition was a visual arts and multi-faith collaborative effort between Greenville Faith Communities United and the Greenville arts community that has now become an annual event.

Today I can't imagine life without my palette, and canvas working together with the oils and bristles of my brush to give life to that inner spiritual and emotional voice hiding inside myself.

Using oil painting as an expression of one's inner self or, as an expression of an ideal or experience is art. It becomes an integral part of the artist's soul expression as it evolves from a spiritual and meditative exercise.

For this painter, what and how the oil and paint is deposited on my canvas by my brush is a conversation all its own. I don't always understand all the words, and just like I am, my art is always an expression of a work in progress. The brush simply provides me with a different type of vision and voice to see, touch, hear and feel through the paint and brush.

It is always interesting. I do always discover. I am always just a little bit freer. But then that's the point now isn't it?

All works exhibited here are original pieces designed and painted by Sandra J. Seyfarth-Lechner including those "under construction".