Sandra Thomas lives and works in the village of Bathurst in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. She has painted since the age of seven and studied under renowned artist Jack Lugg, who in turn trained with Walter Battiss, one of the leading artists of the twenty-first century. Sandra graduated B. Tech. Cum Laude in Fine Art in 2005.

She draws much of her inspiration from the Albany Thickets, an ecoregion of dense spiny scrubland and low forest concentrated in the Eastern Cape. It is a wild, uninhabited place that offers her endless opportunities for exploration. "I like places where no one else goes. I try to portray the quietness there."

Sandra's work is drawn in fine detail, imbuing her artworks with an ethereal quality.

"There is a sense of tranquility and mystery in Sandra's drawings and paintings, inspired by the indigenous forests in and around Bathurst." Marion Whitehead - Country Life April 2020

Two of Sandra's works were chosen this year to be included in the Art Bank South Africa contemporary art collection, hosted by the National Museum and housed at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum in Bloemfontein. See https://artbanksa.org/

CASTLE ROCK 1200 x 960mm
Pencil and oil paint

This is a dry river bed in the Albany Thicket. The sandstone rocks reminded me of an English castle, so I developed a fairy tale around a prince and princess, seen dancing in the far distance surrounded by nature.

EVENING FIREFLIES 1200 x 960mm
Pencil and oil paint

I was out in the Albany Thicket one late afternoon, and as the light dimmed, the fireflies (Lampyridae) appeared in the cool evening air. Their lights flashed brightly against the darkening sky. It was an incredible experience.

I am in search of the untouched where mystery and memory
allow the story of the landscape to emerge.

Two of Sandra's works were chosen this year to be included in the Art Bank South Africa contemporary art collection, hosted by the National Museum and housed at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum in Bloemfontein. See https://artbanksa.org/

EVENING FIREFLIES 1200 x 960mm Pencil and oil paint I was out in the Albany Thicket one late afternoon, and as the light dimmed, the fireflies (Lampyridae) appeared in the cool evening air. Their lights flashed brightly against the darkening sky. It was an incredible experience.

EVENING FIREFLIES 1200 x 960mm
Pencil and oil paint

I was out in the Albany Thicket one late afternoon, and as the light dimmed, the fireflies (Lampyridae) appeared in the cool evening air. Their lights flashed brightly against the darkening sky. It was an incredible experience.