Meet our October Client of the Month: Kylie Sandford! Born in Toronto, Kylie Sandford currently lives and works in Estrie, Québec.
Kylie completed her BFA at Concordia University, Montreal, which included studies in Nîmes, France. After moving closer to nature in 2008 from the city, the importance of the natural environment and the benefits of our relationship to it, took over in her artwork. The intent to focus on the small worlds existing just under foot became a way to clear away the noise and find calm. Primarily an oil painter, Kylie is also recently drawing with soft pastel on paper. She recreates the subtleties of light and pattern with resonance, depth and excitement in her landscapes.
Kylie’s work has received awards such as the Dry Media Award with Jackson’s Painting Prize 2023, grant funding with the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec (CALQ), First prize with Rêves d’automne, Baie St Paul, Qc., as well as Honorable mention with the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) in Toronto. She is a professional member of the Le Regroupement des Artistes en Arts Visuels du Québec (RAAV) and the Conseil des Métiers d’Arts du Québec / Craft Council (CMAQ). Her work can be found in private collections internationally.
YES: When did you start your artistic journey and what were some of your goals when you started?
Kylie: Visiting museums when I was growing up, was the beginning of my journey as an artist. That’s what I wanted to do, there was no question about it. Growing up in Toronto, I was inspired by the landscape paintings of the Group of Seven and of Emily Carr at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). When my BFA studies included a class in Nîmes, France, I travelled and experienced looking at master European paintings with my own eyes. The works I saw had me wanting to see more and learn to master technique.
During my BFA at Concordia, I loved being among all the artists and making art. However, it was many years later before I found my way back to making this career choice a reality. I had to begin at zero. I wanted to sell my work and make better work and one of my goals was to achieve a solo exhibition. I dreamed of representation at a gallery.
YES: What stage are you at now? What have been your greatest achievements?
Kylie: Today I have exhibited in group shows at several museums in Québec, including at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Sherbrooke Qc. for La Biennale des Artistes des Cantons de l’Est / the Biennale of Eastern Townships Artists. The show, l’Écologie du paysage / Landscape ecology, is up now until January 5th, 2025. I’ve painted my most monumental, multi-canvas oil painting for the show’s theme, with several pastel drawings to accompany it. I have had several solo exhibitions including Microcosmes in 2023, at the Centre Culturel Yvonne L. Bombardier in Valcourt, Qc.
Last year was an exciting one for achievements when I won the Dry Media Award with Jackson’s Art Prize in London, UK. My drawing was exhibited and sold at the Affordable Art fair Hampstead. I’m grateful to have won a travel grant with the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec (CALQ), and to attend a second exhibition of the work of shortlisted artists at the Bankside Gallery, London.
YES: What were/are your biggest struggles?
Kylie: Time management and organizational skills were hurdles for me as well as general knowledge of the tools available for this. I didn’t have practical knowledge starting out and learning to manage all the facets of a business took up a lot of my creating time. Clearly outlining a project for a grant proposal was difficult and is always a challenge, though working through this again and again leads to a clarity of vision and a direction of purpose in the creating of my art.
The artist coaches at YES have been an enormous help in sharing resources, helping with focus, giving guidance for writing and very importantly moral support through all the art world hurdles.
YES: What was the problem you were experiencing before you came into YES?
Kylie: I was not developing my career very quickly and didn’t know how to plan a path forward or know where to begin. Functioning as a business was a mindset I did not have, so there were many things to learn, from accounting to finding a balance between creating, making an income, organizing my career actions and following through on actions to achieve concrete goals.
I needed help with grant writing and presenting a balanced budget sheet.
YES: What did you find as a result of using our services? What was the best thing about it?
Kylie: I am much more organized and purposeful in planning and executing the direction of my career. My thoughts are clearer with the help of an artist coach in my corner. Caroline Gauthier has given me enormous support, helping me to achieve my goals, give me direction, to clarify my writing, with personal accountability and with a positive outlook, always moving forward.
YES: How do you feel about the service you have received from YES?
Kylie: I feel extremely lucky to have discovered this service, at a time when I had moved out of the city and was ready to start seriously moving forward as a professional artist. When I look back now on the support I have had from the coaches at YES, I am grateful to see all the structure I learned to build with their help, to get where I am today.
YES: Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share?
Kylie: The journey never ends. As the artworld evolves, we change as well and as I get older, my art transforms and grows. An art career has its challenges but creating and sharing art and having support to do that is important and very rewarding and fulfilling. If you have the opportunity to see my work at the Biennale L’Écologie du paysage before January 5th 2025, I’d love to hear about it!
You can follow Kylie :
To learn more about our services for Artists, click here.