Interview
Sandra Lin Cue
Sandra is primarily an acrylic and ink painter. She has been painting for over 20 years.
Sandra is also a tattoo artist, and owns a tattoo shop.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I started drawing and painting at a very young age and never stopped. After high school, I applied and was accepted into one of the top five art schools in the country. Unfortunately, in my first year of art school, I had a horrible experience that forced me to step away from art for a time. I went into the medical field and slowly but surely started finding my way back to the art world, and back to my passion. Eventually, I started painting again and participated in art shows to get my work out there.
My uncle and aunt were really pushing me to become a tattoo artist. My uncle became my mentor and introduced me to another medium through which I could share my art with the world. So I worked hard, and I made creating art on canvas and on skin my whole world.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My work is all about empowering others. I want every person I work with and create for to feel empowered and beautiful. Through art, I’ve found a platform where I reach thousands of people.
My work can also be very political and focused on social issues. I’m a woman and I’m a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, so a lot of my work is about speaking up for what’s right.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“I do both. I take a lot of time researching a piece’s subject matter since it’s important to me to always be educated about what I create. Other times, I’m inspired by something or someone and feel the need to create right away. Ideas are constantly coming to me. Sometimes they literally wake me in the middle of the night and at other times, I fall asleep thinking about them.”
Are there any art world trends are you following?
“There are so many trends out there, and each one catches my attention in its own way. I love that art is so much more accessible to the world now. We all have access to artists and creators in a way that we never have been before.”
“Art is about connecting with the person looking at your work, so finding ways to do that is incredibly important.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“I usually default to canvas. There’s something about the way the brush feels in your hand as you pull the paint across the canvas, the sound it makes, and the way it dances. It feels very therapeutic and expressive.
I also do digital creations using Procreate on my iPad. Sketching on the screen and rendering designs for my tattoo clients is a whole different world. I love that I can create and share art immediately with the world in this digital space.”
What does your art mean to you?
“My work means everything to me. As the great Erykah Badu would say, ‘I’m sensitive about my shit.’ I put a little piece of my heart and soul into everything I create. I take great pride in creating a huge canvas piece, and I take the same amount of pride in creating a tattoo for someone who will wear my work for the rest of their life. In fact, maybe a little more.
That ink I put on their skin is all they can take with them when it’s their time, so I take pride in the fact that it’s my art they chose.”
What’s your favorite artwork and why?
“To this day, the Strength painting I did of the lion is my favorite piece (shown below). I did it for my wife; she inspired it completely. It represents the strength I see in her, and the unwavering loyalty she has to the ones she loves.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I’ve been a part of multiple art shows, such as the Colorado Mills Mall exhibition I had here in Colorado.”
