Portraits in oil
20 original paintings by Sandy Wolter, on canvas from 12 × 16 in to 36 × 48 in. 13 of them are for sale. Most are close studies of a face, from Whang-Od's tattooed arms to a woman with honey running down her cheeks, and three of them fill her largest canvases, 36 × 48 inches.
Ask about any painting by its title, or see portrait commissions to have one painted from your own photo.
The paintings
Sandy's favourite
Honey
A powerful portrait reveals quiet confidence through light and expression.
Honey runs down a young woman's face from the hairline, over her forehead, cheeks and chin, in thick amber streams with bright highlights. Her lips are parted and painted a vivid red-orange, and her hazel eyes look straight out. Long wet strands of blonde hair hang around her face against a dark brown ground, on a 36 × 48 inch canvas.
Sandy's favourite
Native
A portrait inspired by the natives of Baguio
A woman wears a woven headdress in red, orange, black and white, crowned with tall red and white feathers. Her shoulders are wrapped in a striped red, black and white woven cloth, and she wears gold hoop earrings. Steep green mountains with pine trees and a winding path rise behind her, and Sandy's signature sits in the lower right corner.
Sandy's favourite
Softly, She Blooms
A graceful figure is framed by delicate details and an inviting palette.
A young woman in a wide black hat looks out from under its brim, one eye half hidden in its shadow. She wears a large round grey earring and a sheer black top, and her fingertips rest against her cheek. Long dark hair falls across her shoulder, against a pale blue-grey background, with Sandy's signature in the lower right corner.
Sandy's favourite
The Ballerina
A graceful ballerina expressing beauty and elegance.
A dancer sits on the floor hugging her knees, her head bowed and eyes lowered. Her dark hair is pulled into a high bun, and she wears a white camisole leotard, a wide white tulle skirt spread around her, and satin pointe shoes. Behind her are a window with a grey-gold sky and a vase of thin branches with small blossoms.
Sandy's favourite
The Son
A striking portrait celebrates individuality through bold color and expression.
A man with long black hair parted in the middle and a grey-flecked beard faces the viewer directly. A cream hood frames his head and shoulders, and a white garment shows at the neck. His brown eyes are level, and light falls evenly across the face of this 28 × 38 inch canvas.
Where Stories Gather
A richly colored composition celebrates the stories held within everyday surroundings.
A woman in a coral-pink dress sits at a tall wooden harp, her dark hair pinned up with a few curls loose at the neck. Behind her, bright green hills rise in curved terraces, and a hedge of leafy shrubs fills the lower right corner. The harp's white strings cross the left side of the painting in long parallel lines.
Crowned in Stillness
An arresting portrait balances vivid accents with a composed, steady gaze.
A woman's face fills this small canvas, cropped close at the forehead and chin. Her eyes are a pale blue-green with dark lashes, her brows thick and brushed upward, and her pink lips close in a slight smile. Long brown hair frames both sides, with warm highlights on the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose.
Unspoken Grace
Delicate facial details convey a sense of strength beneath a peaceful exterior.
Pale ice-blue eyes look straight ahead under strong, dark, feathered brows. The full lips are a dusty rose, parted just enough to show a line of teeth, and the face is modelled in soft beige and warm grey. Black hair frames it on both sides, cropped by the edges of the canvas.
A Moment Within
An intimate study of expression, where stillness speaks louder than words.
This young woman smiles broadly enough to show her teeth, and her hazel-green eyes crease at the corners. Her skin is painted in olive and golden-brown tones, with deeper shadow under the cheekbones. Dark hair falls in loose sweeps across both shoulders.
Garden of Becoming
A figure emerges amid lush colors, suggesting renewal and personal growth.
A blonde woman with long wavy hair wears a blue robe embroidered with pale flowers, one hand raised to her chest. A thin golden halo circles her head. White outlined leaves float on the lime-green background around her, each drawn in a loose single stroke.
Embers of the Soul
Warm, dramatic shades illuminate a portrait full of inner intensity.
A bearded man wearing a crown of thorns leans his head against a rough wooden beam, eyes closed, one hand gripping the wood. His face, hand and robe are painted in burnt orange, copper and deep brown, and fine lines of texture run through the skin and the grain of the beam alike. At 36 × 48 inches it is one of the largest canvases in the collection.
Golden Silence
Glowing highlights and shadow give this work a contemplative elegance.
A young woman holds a lit candle at chest height, and its small flame is the only light in the painting. It turns her face, neck and hair gold and amber from below while her eyes stay in shadow. Everything around her is a deep navy that darkens toward the edges.
Whang-Od
A central figure radiates warmth against a textured, expressive backdrop.
The painting takes its title from Whang-Od, the traditional tattoo artist of Buscalan, Kalinga. Silver hair frames a deeply lined face, and her arms and shoulders are covered in blue geometric tattoos. She wears a red beaded headband, red earrings and layered necklaces of red, yellow, blue and black beads with a round pendant, against a mustard-yellow ground.
Colors of Her Journey
A lively portrait blends movement, color, and a distinctive sense of character.
A woman with long honey-blonde hair sits with one knee raised, her arm resting on it and her hand pushed into her hair. Her silver sequined slip is painted in quick grey and white dabs. A cream vase with green leafy stems stands beside her, against a plain beige wall and floor.
Supergirl
An expressive figure seems to hold a lifetime of stories in a single glance.
A young woman with a choppy blonde bob looks at the viewer with grey-blue eyes and a firm mouth. She wears a tan overcoat open over a blue T-shirt with a red and yellow S shield on the chest. Her hair lifts slightly to one side, against a dark teal background.
A Thousand Little Lights
Rich greens and bursts of light create a vibrant, immersive atmosphere.
A face broken into separate parts, two eyes of different sizes, a pair of pink lips turned sideways, an ear, a nose and a cheek, pieced together like a puzzle. Bright lime and yellow-green tendrils grow through and around the pieces, glowing against a near-black background.
A Window of Blue
Cool blues surround a contemplative figure, inviting a moment of pause.
Half of a woman's face fills the right side of this painting, one blue-green eye wide open. Water runs down her forehead and cheek in clear drops and streams, and her skin is freckled and flushed. On the left, rippling bands of cobalt water meet her chin at the bottom edge.
In Full Bloom
A serene woman lies gracefully with her flowing hair spread around her, surrounded by mesmerizing shades of blue and gold, symbolizing elegance, tranquility, and timeless beauty.
Seen from above, a woman lies on her back with her eyes closed and her long auburn hair fanned out behind her head. She wears a rust-red top with thin straps. Around her the surface is patterned with gold, blue and ochre dots, pebbles and swirls, like the bed of a stream seen through water.
Crimson Afternoon
A warm, colorful scene captures the energy of a passing afternoon.
A woman in a pink dress with ruffled sleeves holds a tabby cat against her chest, her eyes closed and her head bent toward it. Pink roses on dark green stems climb the right side, and a wall of small yellow blossoms fills the upper left. Stripes of green, pink and grey run behind her.
An Intimate Moment
A close, expressive portrait captures the tenderness of a fleeting feeling.
A woman with long blonde hair stands in a pale satin gown with thin straps, holding a lit white candle in a holder at waist height. She looks straight at the viewer. The background is a dark green-black, so the gown and the candle flame are the brightest areas of this 28 × 39 inch canvas.