Sydney Rose Sandoval is an artist from Sugar Hill, Georgia, who adds a unique spin to her paintings by using cake decorating tools to create texture and depth. In this interview, she opens up about the inspiration behind her two main projects: Nature’s Nudes and Sydney’s Garden. In Nature’s Nudes, Sydney celebrates the beauty of all women by showcasing different body types and focusing on body positivity and diversity. With Sydney’s Garden, each flower she creates honors a remarkable woman, with each flower choice representing their qualities and impact on her.

Sydney also explains how using textured techniques helps bring her art to life, making it more interactive and accessible, especially for the visually impaired. Through her work, she sends a powerful message that beauty is about being true to yourself, embracing differences, and honoring the stories that shape who we are.

Sydney Rose Sandoval is a featured artist in our book “The Creative Process.” You can explore her journey and the stories of other artists by purchasing the book here: https://shop.artstoheartsproject.com/products/the-creative-process-book

Sydney is an artist living in Sugar Hill, Georgia. She brings beauty to life through her paintings with a unique twist. Sydney pipes her flowers with cake decorating tools, which allows her to experiment with texture and adds a three-dimensional element to her work. Sydney has two ongoing series: Nature’s Nudes and Sydney’s Garden. Nature’s Nudes is a collection of nude portraits that capture the raw, natural beauty of the female figure, evoking a sense of empowerment and admiration for the beauty within every woman. Sydney’s Garden is a collection of flower arrangements. Each piece consists of flowers that Sydney individually piped and sculpted. The flowers in Sydney’s Garden are inspired by essential women in Sydney’s life, paying tribute to their influence.

1. How did you come up with the idea to use cake decorating tools in your art, and what inspired it?

I’ve always loved painting flowers, but I wanted to add more detail and texture to dynamically bring my work to life. Initially, I wasn’t sure how to achieve that depth, but one day, I was scrolling through TikTok and came across a baker piping intricate buttercream flowers. It immediately clicked for me—I realized I could apply the same technique to my paintings. I researched and discovered a fantastic paint company that produces heavy-textured acrylic paint, Gaffrey Art Material’s Heavy Texture Acrylics, which holds its shape beautifully. From there, I began experimenting with piping tools, treating the paint like buttercream and creating floral designs with more dimension and richness. This new technique enhanced my work’s physical texture and became a unique extension of my artistic voice. It allowed me to stay true to my themes of celebrating femininity, natural beauty, and body positivity while incorporating a fresh approach that adds depth and invites viewers to engage with the tactile elements of my art in a new way. By using cake decorating tools, I found an innovative method that keeps my work playful and layered, much like the complex emotions and narratives my pieces represent.

By using cake decorating tools, I found an innovative method that keeps my work playful and layered, much like the complex emotions and narratives my pieces represent.

Sydney Rose Sandoval

2. What message do you want to share through your “Nature’s Nudes” series, and how does it celebrate beauty?

I’ve personally struggled with body image, a challenge that became even more pronounced when I developed a chronic illness. Through my “Nature’s Nudes” series, I wanted to create a space that celebrates all body types, ensuring that both abled and disabled bodies are represented and feel beautiful. This series is my way of breaking away from the narrow societal definitions of beauty and offering a more inclusive, empathetic perspective. By blending the rawness of nude figures with the delicate allure of flowers, I aim to show strength, vulnerability, and grace in every woman’s form, regardless of size, shape, or ability. In each piece, I encourage viewers to reflect on the diversity of bodies and challenge the standards that often leave people feeling inadequate. Whether a woman is grappling with illness, disability, or societal pressure, I want her to see herself as powerful, beautiful, and deserving of love. Through these paintings, I hope to foster a sense of self-acceptance and body positivity, reminding everyone that beauty comes in many forms and that everybody is worthy of celebration.

3.   “Sydney’s Garden” honors women in your life. How do they inspire the flowers you create?  

When I create a flower arrangement for “Sydney’s Garden,” each flower is chosen with the woman it honors in mind. The arrangement is about the flowers and the memories, emotions, and qualities I associate with that person. Every detail, from the color to the type of flower, is intentional. The colors often represent how I feel when I think of her—vibrant hues for bold, fearless women or soft pastels for those whose gentle strength has left a lasting impact. Memories play a significant role in the process as well. For example, if a particular flower reminds me of a moment shared with that person or evokes a feeling of comfort and connection, I’ll incorporate it into the arrangement. The choice of flower type also reflects their personality—roses might symbolize elegance and grace, while wildflowers convey free-spiritedness or resilience. Each flower represents the woman’s unique essence, and her story is woven into the art. In this way, “Sydney’s Garden” is more than just an artistic series—it celebrates the relationships, memories, and emotions that have shaped me. The arrangement grows from a place of love and admiration, capturing the vibrant, delicate, or powerful qualities of the women who inspire me. Whenever I select a flower, I pay homage to the memories, colors, and emotions they’ve left in my life and translate that into visual beauty for others to experience.

4.  How does adding texture with your three-dimensional techniques change how people experience your art?

Adding texture through my three-dimensional techniques, such as piping tools to create flowers, completely transforms how people experience my art. The depth and tactile quality invite viewers to engage with the work beyond sight, creating a more immersive, multi-sensory experience. The textures allow for a more interactive connection, as the art feels dynamic and alive. A significant aspect of adding texture is accessibility. By incorporating raised, textured elements, people who are blind or visually impaired can touch the paintings and experience my art in ways that aren’t limited to vision. This tactile dimension ensures that a broader audience can feel my work literally and emotionally. The ability to touch and engage with the physicality of the piece creates a new layer of understanding for those who might otherwise be excluded from traditional visual art experiences. The textured elements also add depth to the emotional narrative. Combining nude forms with intricate floral designs emphasizes the contrast between the raw body and the delicate beauty of the flowers. These raised textures make the themes of body positivity, empowerment, and inclusion more tangible, allowing all viewers, regardless of visual ability, to feel the strength and beauty in the work. This accessibility enhances the personal connection to the art and reinforces the message of inclusion that lies at the heart of my work.

I hope to foster a sense of self-acceptance and body positivity, reminding everyone that beauty comes in many forms and that every body is worthy of celebration.

Sydney Rose Sandoval

5. What does beauty mean to you, and how do you express it through your work?  

To me, beauty is found in authenticity, diversity, and life’s raw, unfiltered aspects. It’s not about fitting into societal standards or superficial perfection but about embracing what makes us unique—our stories, strengths, vulnerabilities, and imperfections. I see beauty in the resilience of the human spirit, the different shapes, sizes, and abilities of bodies, and in the power of femininity. I express this view of beauty through my work by challenging conventional norms. My paintings, particularly those in the “Nature’s Nudes” series, celebrate the diversity of the female form, from abled to disabled bodies. I blend the rawness of nude figures with the delicate allure of flowers, showing that beauty can be found in the combination of strength and fragility, boldness and softness. The textures I create add depth, inviting viewers to engage with the work visually, emotionally, and physically. I also incorporate themes of body positivity, sexual abuse, and disability to remind people that beauty exists in every story, everybody, and every experience. By adding textured elements to my art, I make it accessible to more people, including those who are blind or visually impaired, allowing them to touch and feel the beauty my work aims to express. For me, beauty is multifaceted—empowerment, inclusivity, and honoring the full spectrum of human experience. My art reflects that belief, offering a space for all bodies and stories to be seen, felt, and celebrated.

Sydney’s art is about finding beauty in what makes us different and unique. Whether she’s honoring women with her detailed floral designs or celebrating body positivity with her nude portraits, her work encourages us to look at art—and ourselves—in a new way. By adding texture and dimension to her pieces, Sydney makes her art more meaningful and accessible, proving that beauty truly comes from the stories we carry and share. To learn more about Sydney, click the following links to visit her profile.

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