San Biography

As far back as San can remember, she was always attracted to concrete. Her mother tells stories of San "cutting" her baby teeth on concrete blocks around an unfinished doorway in her parents' basement apartment. San's father, grandfather and uncles were all brick layers and concrete finishers. She was fascinated by watching them carefully and precisely mix mortar and form concrete structures. Her father was a "weekend" oil painter‚ who hid away in his peaceful and quiet workshop to escape the noise of four children and their dog, Barney.

All through high school, San talked her art teachers into letting her decide what her projects would be. Most saw her need to be independent and let her do just that. This instilled the desire and freedom for creativity without barriers. Her parents realized this and let San paint murals on her bedroom walls without censorship. At twenty, San had a small business designing and sewing wedding gowns from photos brides had given her. At thirty, she became a real estate broker and ran a successful business in Indiana. At forty, she moved to Florida and studied art under Dr. Lilliana Dordevich.

Then San painted portraits and had an art show to raise awareness of Breast Cancer and funds for the American Cancer Society in Naples, Florida. Her painting fame took her back to the business of being an interior wall and ceiling muralist with her successful company ArtBySan. She has worked in many prominent homes and businesses throughout the USA and Canada creating murals with compositions ranging from realistic to impressionistic, and a year long 1600 sq. ft. ceiling mural in the New Hindu Temple of Southwest Florida in Fort myers, but her desire to be near concrete never left her.

In the years since 9/11, San has traveled throughout the United States and taken a special collection of unique photographs that give a fresh perspective to the beauty of concrete forms. Their tunneling effects draw the observer in with a rough texture and a gentle touch with her tactile pictures of license plates and road signs on her journeys display 9/11 variations. The fast paced frames of fleeing cars, speed limits, and highway scenery render surprising images that are not accidental. Their hidden meanings and totals of 9 and 11 are haunting. These photos have inspired her to create Project 11up that San is currently working on, commemorating that day using some of the concrete remains of the slurry wall, 'bathtub' foundation at Ground Zero. These will be placed strategically around the US. Anyone interested in having a sculpture in their state must contact San immediately for they are limited in number and will go fast. Call her direct at 239-269-5733.