OIL PAINTER Sandra Bos is an impressionist whose paintings are meant to celebrate life. She is known most for her still lifes and portraits, which are vibrant and bursting with color and self-expression. She describes her paintings as "pieces of color."

"I have learned to see color by training my eyes," says Bos. "And even though I edit and take liberties, I love creating shapes and seeing the nuances of color and light. I dream of paintings that are alive with an entity of their own. That is what I strive for and what I feel painting is all about."

Bos moved to Tennessee in 1995 from Paradise, California, where she spent five years working as an apprentice to well-known Bay Area artist Michael Linstrom. Bos and Linstrom founded a school there in the foothills of the Sierras. She now lives in Cookeville with her husband and family and has her own gallery/studio called the Afternoon Gallery. She conducts workshops, demonstrations, and painting classes for children and adults.

Bos has won regional, national, and international awards. Most recently International Artist magazine selected one of her portraits for their upcoming book, 100 Ways to Paint People (Elladrent Pty, Ltd. 2004). Her work has also been published in Tennessee Home and Gardens magazine (Sept./Oct. 2003). Bos is a member of OPA (Oil Painters of America), AVA (Association for Visual Artists, Chattanooga), In-Town Gallery (Chattanooga), and CAS (Cookeville Art Society). Her work can also be seen at Silver Point Gallery near Smithville, TN and Collaborations Gallery in Seagrove Beach, FL.