- Welcome everybody.

I am thrilled to be sitting here with Sandra Epps of Sandyland, and you're an artist.

- Yes, I am a artist.

I do body art and I do fine art.

The butterfly means so much to me.

I am a lupus survivor.

It attacked my central nervous system, my kidney and my heart.

I was confined to a wheelchair.

This happened at the age of 14.

And when that happened, my self esteem was affected by having this illness as a child and the rash that appears on a lupus patient's face.

It's in the shape of a butterfly.

And that's where I gained my respect and love for the butterfly, because it also represents prosperity.

Of course, transformation, peace, and rebirth.

So much of my art has butterflies in it.

And that's where it comes from.

- And how did your journey and experience with having lupus, how does that translate into your art for others?

- It's all about survival and celebrating.

I want women to celebrate who they are and how far they've come.

And that's what the journey is all about.

That's what creating the art on women, especially I've painted women who have lupus.

I painted women who are cancer survivors.

I've painted women who have lost all their hair from alopecia, but it's all about celebration and loving themselves because of how far they come and just being beautiful, unique individuals, as we all are big, beautiful, unique individuals.

- And so what have been the experiences of the women that you've transformed?

- Oh, that's the thing.

Transform and to just go from having nothing on them at all and putting the butterfly on them and adding the bling and wings and costumes, they are happy.

They're happy and they're feeling good about themselves and that's what it's all about.

And it's just that form of celebrating them at that time and going on and feel good for the rest of the day.

And just as we painted Joy today, she's getting ready to go out and go to the bank and go places.

(Satori laughs) And then people will say, "Oh, you look nice."

And so that makes you feel good.

I have done work with women who have had reconstructive surgery on their breasts and some who just didn't feel beautiful, you know, after that happened.

But after being painted, they feel good.

They're smiling.

The smile is big and that's what it's about.

Celebrating them where they are.

You can also always look back at the pictures too, and just, you know, it's another reminder of your road of surviving or growing through the process that you've experienced.

And so as a reminder that they are growing forward and doing some wonderful things as they look back on that experience that they had with me and just feeling happy and joyful moving forward.

- So it took you two hours, but you talked about, sometimes it takes six.

But the detail, can you just convey to the audience your experience in painting?

- It's one of those things I listen to the spirit.

You know what I'm saying?

Because I had sketched some things out, had all these designs in mind and I actually left the paper.

But as soon as I got here, it's just something that happened, you know?

And I worked from spirit.

The longer I actually paint a person, the better it looks to me.

And I think I get a bit in a trance.

And not only that too, going back to the model.

Not only do they look good, but it's the gentle touch.

It's the touch that makes a difference.

To touch, you know, helps to lower your blood pressure and slow down, you know, helps with your cardiovascular.

You know, it's good for you, that touch.

I love doing details 'cause that's what make it pop.

It's the little white dots.

It's the glitter, it's the glitter lips.

You know, it's those details to me and putting on the wings, adding those extra things, just make it a piece of art.

I make sure it's just all about them.

The focus is just on them, making them feel good, and the experience is good.

When I get relaxed and I get into it, I just totally focus on what I'm doing.

And you can even see the models or the person I'm painting, their breath just slows down because their eyes are closed and they become really relaxed.

And I have people who say it feels good, getting painted as well, it's relaxing.

- You're painting on bodies, but obviously, that translates to any surface, right?

Any kind of surface?

- Yeah.

- So do you do other forms of art?

- Yes, I do.

I originally had my BFA in Fiber Arts from Wayne State University.

So I love painting on silk.

That's actually my joy, I really love doing that.

And so as my business, in my business Sandysland, I host pillow paint parties, art parties.

So I create all the designs.

And then I, you know, host parties where people, I teach them how to paint, but I create all the arts.

That and painting on wood, I make boxes.

I do other things, fine arts things, you know, for projects that I create for my events that I host, 'cause I host events as well.

- Is there anything else that you'd like to say?

- Staying conscious of being positive.

We want people to just, you know, continue during this season as a tough season that we're in, but to always show love and respect.

Yes, for one another.

That matters, yes.

- Thank you for that.

And you have a website?

- My website is www.sandyslandllc.com.

That's S, A, N, D, Y, S, L, A, N, D, L, L, C.com.

- Thank you so much, Sandra Epps.

Thank you for talking with us and for giving us all the gifts that you give us.