“How important are the visual arts in our society? Kermit the Frog |
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SUSAN SWEETWATER |
Susan Sweetwater was born in the mid-west and began painting in her teens. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Painting from the University of Illinois in 1982 and studied at the Rusty Art Institute in Oregon from 1996 through 2000. After nearly 20 years of painting in oils, Susan has been working in encaustic and mixed medias since 1998. |
ARTIST'S STATEMENT |
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I began exploring encaustic painting in 1998 after nearly 20 years of painting in oils. Encaustic medium allows me to more fully engage in the entire creative process as I make my own medium and paints. The unpredictable nature of the medium requires that I be present and engaged, willing to set aside my illusions of control. I find creating to be most satisfying, and the outcome to be most powerful, when I remain open and responsive to the materials and the image. I enjoy exploring a wide range of images, from the purely abstract to the conceptual, and I gratefully accept inspiration in any form. The inspiration for a piece may be conceptual – an attempt to understand principals of quantum physics, an exploration of eastern philosophy or a quest to comprehend my place in the universe. Or inspiration may take the form of the broken and beautiful bird’s wing left by a marauding cat or the rusty bit of metal by the side of the road. Art is the reminder that beauty surrounds us. Perhaps that is its greatest gift. |
RESUME EXHIBITIONS REPRESENTATION Collective Visions Gallery, Bremerton, WA PRIVATE COLLECTIONS EDUCATION AND TRAINING University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL Rusty Art Institute, Nehalem, OR PUBLIC ART COMMISSIONS 2001 “The Embrace”, art poster to commemorate Seattle’s Pride Events CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS TAUGHT “The Whole Ball of Wax – Encaustic Painting”, Bremerton, WA |
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