It began in a class by Jim Gibson and Docia Reed, fine abstract artists. Both of these lovely people gift their time and talents to our Art Club members for a few hours a week.

The entire painting is meant to be an experiment, inspired by a  favorite artist. Mine is Piet Mondrian.

At dusk I turn a spotlight onto my current creation. The neighbors tell me they love to see what I’m working on, and often walk this way. Makes me happy to share my love of color, shape and texture with my community.

I also share my love of technology, especially Apple products. Recently I taught an impromptu iPad class at our MAC club; and will go to student’s homes for one-on-one MAC-iPad-iPhone consulting. When clients want to know what my interests are, I show them my paintings gallery on my iPad as I train them to make their own albums and journals.

It’s always exciting to hear “I have a friend who loves abstract and contemporary art! Can I bring them over to see your paintings?” My home has become an open gallery of sorts. The people who visit invigorate me, as they share their stories over a cup of tea. I learn much about their art collections, as we search their home for a place to hang their newest work of art. What a wonderful life I enjoy.

Please take a look at my short videos if you’re interested in my process and motivations. Click here: Susie’s videos – also, please contact me if you’d like to talk about how my paintings would complement your collection. Click here: Contact Susie.

Paint, play, laugh and do something out of the ordinary this week! Let me know what you did.

” City Runways” 50″ x 40″ on Gallery-wrapped canvas, Mixed Media: Acrylic, Acrylic Ink

Even wowed myself on this one. New, new, new! It was going to be similar in style to the first GridWorks which was a very popular painting. If you look at the first one, you’ll see how lovely the colors are. But with this second GridWorks, too much black ink got onto the rectangles and it became muddy. I don’t have a yard anymore where I could hose it down. So, as always with a failed painting, I asked it what it wanted to be. Imagine my surprise when it said “tape me up and paint that bold red and yellow, splashing in some turquoise blue.”

“GridWorks 2” – taped

Taping is a new experiment for me. It makes me think in reverse, a little like doing a woodcut. Once you cover portions of the painting, you have to imagine what is under there, and what it will look like after you paint the non-taped areas.

Yes, I’m still playing with it a bit, wrapping the shapes and colors around the sides. For the next couple of weeks, I’ll just look at it to see if there’s anything else it wants me to do. Then I will declare it complete.

Please take a look at my short videos if you’re interested in my process and motivations. Click here: Susie’s videos – also, please contact me if you’d like to talk about how my paintings would complement your collection. Click here: Contact Susie.

Paint, play, laugh and do something out of the ordinary this week! Let me know what you did.