Hello, and thank you for taking the time to visit my online art gallery.
My name is Marty Sandaker and I am a 43 year old guy who spent over 15 years in retail sales, inside showrooms, tied to a work schedule dictated by the retail world. I was often discouraged from being an individual, and denied advancement beyond where others thought I belonged.
So one day I quit my job, started my own business, utilized the contacts I had made as a cog in the retail machine, and have been self employed ever since. That was more than 5 years ago, and I have never regretted my decision.
I grew up in the Colorado rockies and went to college in Eastern Washington where I currently reside. (the state not the capital). I am remarried to a wonderful woman who is fiercely independent, financially capable, and very creative. She is a talented designer although her profession is as an independent statistical programming contractor in the pharmaceutical industry. (say that fast three times.) She has been very supportive, and has encouraged me to continue to explore this creative artistic outlet known as spray paint art, aerosol art, rattle can art, and various other monikers.
We have 4 great kids, the youngest of which graduated high school this year. Our oldest made us grandparents last year and lives in Hawaii where her husband is stationed while he is overseas in Iraq. Our middle son and daughter are both in college, one on the west coast, and one on the east coast.
We are quickly becoming empty nesters trying to decide what the next chapter of our lives will include.
As to how I came to be a spray paint artist, my story is like others I have come to know at an online artist community known as spacepaintings.com. I came across a video on youtube by Brandon McConnell. Although I have never previously persued any artistic venue, I was totally enthralled by what I saw. Since it was winter, and I needed a warm environment in which to paint, I bought some supplies and waited for warm weather. I have been painting since early summer 2008, and have since built a small art studio with a ventilated paint booth to allow me to paint year round here in the pacific northwest where weather affects painting outdoors a large part of the year.
I have spent hundreds of hours learning a how to create artwork with regular rattle can spray paint purchased from local hardware stores, and a few common household items. Other incredibly talented spray paint artists online, have shared their talents and techniques unselfishly, allowing me to develop my abilities while never having met another spray paint artist in person. I have never seen this type of artwork done in real life. My only exposure to this type of artwork is online, via the internet. My wife has coined the term “SPU.” Short for “Spray Paint University” and says I am attending online. I would like to thank the many artists I have met and exchanged feedback with since early summer 2008. Without the videos, forum posts, online galleries, and willingness to share their talents, techniques, imaginations, and time, I would never have been able to develop and grow as a spray paint artist and create an ever expanding gallery of paintings I hope to share with many others. Thank you, Marty
