Feature Artist Bio

By permission of the artist, The Cyber Art Show is pleased to feature the second of two 12-piece exhibitions of works by contemporary American landscape painter Sandy Byers (born 1956 in Monterey, California). 

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Winning First Place in the animal/wildlife category in Pastel Journal magazine’s Pastel 100 competition is a tribute to Byers’ skill in the medium of pastel. Her work has consistently won awards in this annual competition since she first entered it in 2004. Her winning piece, “Dibs on the Red Chair,” is featured in the April 2012 issue. Another of her pieces, “Kitchen Conversations” is in the Showcase section of the same issue. In 2013, Byers was selected as a juror for the annual, international, Pastel 100 Competition. Her work was also selected for the cover of JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) and was released in a book by Schiffer Publishing, Flowers in Art.

 

Before building her career as an artist, Byers held multiple management positions, established business and accounting systems and hired, trained and managed personnel. Using her software program development, management and organizational skills, Byers then went on to help produce world-class products for Microsoft. Positioned within the Travel Division of Microsoft, in 1999, Byers became one of the founding members of Expedia.com and continued her role there as a Program Manager.

 

Her retirement from the software industry in 2002 enabled Byers to pursue a full-time art career and she began honing her pastel skills. In 2004, she entered her first competition: The Pastel Journal’s Pastel 100 Competition; she won two awards in that juried competition. Her award-winning art has been published in multiple issues since then. Her latest works have hung next to world-renowned artists and Contemporary Masters such as Robert Bateman, Duffy Sheridan, David Gray, Renato Muccillo and Jeff Legg. Byers continues to gain acceptance and win awards in a multitude of juried shows. Her works are published in numerous magazines and hardbound books. (A current list is available on her website SandyByers.com).

 

Although Byers has produced works in a variety of media, her focus is working with oils and pastels. Many of her landscape and seascape paintings include scenes from her local area on Whidbey Island, in Washington State. Byers is well known for her heartfelt and expressive paintings of animals and she is passionately dedicated to supporting animal welfare organizations.

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Signature Memberships

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• Pastel Society of America

• Pastel Society of the West Coast

• Northwest Pastel Society

• Member - Oil Painters of America

 

Selected Exhibitions  

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• Cole Gallery / Edmonds WA

• Scott Milo Gallery / Anacortes WA

• Howard Mandville Gallery/Kirkland WA

• American Art Gallery/Tacoma WA

• Blue Horse Gallery / Bellingham WA

• Haggin Museum/ Stockton CA

• Richeson Gallery / Kimberly WI

• American Art Gallery / Tacoma WA

• Harbor Gallery / Gig Harbor WA

• The Arts Building Gallery /Auburn CA

• Planet Bronze Gallery / Bozeman MT

• Kirsten Gallery / Seattle WA

• Washington State Convention Center/Seattle WA

• San Louis Obispo Art Center / San Louis Obispo CA

• Brackenwood Gallery / Langley WA

 

Corporate Works

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• Northern Ohio / Pettit College of Law / Ada, OH

• Providence Regional Medical Center / Everett, WA

 

Publications/Press/Awards

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• 2014 QFOX TV interview with Kaci Aichison, August 28, 2014

• 2014 KOMO TV interview with Lindsey Cohen, August 22, 2014

• 2014 KPLU Radio interview with Jennifer Wing, Sept 1, 2014

• 2014 Whidbey Life Magazine, Feature article, April 2014

• 2014 Whidbey News Times, Feature article, October 2014

• 2014 Edmonds Beacon News Front Page article July 3, 2014

• 2014 Art Collector Magazine Featured art (for Cole Gallery)

• 2014 Plein Air Magazine/Paint the Peninsula selected art

• 2014 Art Renewal Center Finalist, International Salon Competition

• 2014 Pastel Journal, Pastel 100, Honorable Mention

• 2013 JAVMA cover (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association)

• 2013 Flowers in Art, Schiffer Publishing

• 2013 Pastel Journal, Pastel 100, Juror (Jurors’ article, April 2013)

• 2012 Pastel Journal, Pastel 100, 1st Place Award, April 2012

• 2012 Richeson75 Pastel Hardbound Book, Finalist / 3 pieces and 3rd Place Award

• 2012 Richeson75 Pastel Hardbound Book, 3 pieces / Meritorious Awards

• 2011 The Artist’s Magazine, 28th Annual Competition Finalist

• 2011 NW Pastel Society at Kirsten, Director’s Choice Award

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