Sandra Belitza-Vazquez

Vibrant Visions of Nature in Scannography

Sandra Belitza-Vazquez, sandyscan.com,  is a multiple award-winning internationally recognized artist. She shares the beauty she discovers in the world in breathtaking photographic images. Her art is characterized by vibrant colors and dramatic compositions that immediately capture our attention and hold our interest. She is equally proficient in creating traditional photographs as well as her new and exciting scanner photography presented here. She describes this series as “My modern take on the Old Dutch Master style.”

Banner image: Detail of A Sweet Reunion, scanner photography, 16″ x 24″

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DO NOT REPRODUCE IMAGES WITHOUT THE ARTIST’S PERMISSION.

A Bug Garden, scanner photography, size is variable

She has participated in over 90 solo and juried group art exhibits in Mexico and the U.S., including the National Museum of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, the Cooperstown Art Association, and the Bannerman Island Gallery in Beacon.

Sandra’s many online exhibitions include the Manhattan Arts International “HerStory” 2024 Invitational exhibition, Emerge Gallery’s “Food for Thought” exhibition, and the seven-person Invitational “Focus on Photographers” exhibit at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY.

Her art has also been selected for  “The Healing Power of Color” 2024 Invitational exhibition and “The Healing Power of Art: Love, Peace, Unity, and Hope” juried exhibition — both on The Healing Power of ART & ARTISTS website, an initiative of Manhattan Arts International.

Falling Leaves, scanner photography, size is variable

Her art has been selected by the National Wildlife Federation greeting cards for 2022 and 2021. In November 2023, her book “Huey Atlixcayotl – The Art in the Gaze,” documenting the indigenous dance festival of the state of Puebla, was published by the Cultural Department of the state of Puebla, Mexico.

Sandra explains what led to her scanner photography portfolio this way: “Inspired by a virtual tour of the studio of a master of scanography in November 2020, I decided to add this new avenue of expression to my photographic arsenal. With this medium of photography, I have found a way to extend my curiosity and artistic sensitivity by creating new worlds of expression to obtain creations full of life and beauty that began in my mind’s eye and invite exploration by the viewer. Rather than waiting for the perfect light, the decisive moment of action, or searching for a particular composition that adequately expresses my reaction to a scene, I create the scene.”  

Periwinkle and Hyacinth, scanner photography, size is variable

She remarks, “The textures and vibrant colors of objects not commonly found together in nature create new and surprising visual worlds that are beautiful and sometimes playful and whimsical.”

Sandra exudes, “I see possibilities for new creations everywhere around me – flowering weeds, mushrooms, feathers, acorns, pinecones, walnuts, moss-covered tree bark, dead insects, and even empty bird nests that continually invite my inspection and collection. With objects in hand, the creative process begins. The possible arrangements by color, size, and combination of things not commonly found together in nature become the pre-visualizations of a final image. The creations express joy, freedom, gracefulness, reflection, and contemplation.”

Spring Growth, scanner photography, size is variable

Sandra takes her time and skillful means seriously when creating her scanner photography. As she explains, “There may be many iterations before a composition adequately expresses what I had in mind when I brought the objects to the scanner. The design of complex scenes is made more difficult because it is achieved by placing objects upside-down on the scanner’s glass surface.

She states, “Through this new medium of photography, I have found a way to extend my curiosity and artistic sensitivity by using this mechanical process to obtain creations full of life and beauty that began in my mind’s eye and invite exploration by the viewer.”

Surrounded By Friends, scanner photography, size is variable

Sandra received her B.A. in Anthropology from Queens College of the City University of New York and pursued her Master’s degree in Anthropology at the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico. She has explored the world around her, documenting life in indigenous communities, dance festivals, archaeological sites, African wildlife, and nature’s wondrous and vibrant world.

Visit Sandra Belitza-Vazquez’s website: sandyscan.com

Join Sandra Belitza-Vazquez on Social Media
Facebook.com/sbvazquezphotographicartist
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