I'mapastelartist,drawntocapturingtheessenceofplacesthroughlight,color,andthestoriesthey hold.Fromwidevistastotucked-awayalleys,Iframecompositions,lettingtheinterplayoflight, shadow,andcolorguideme.Whentherightcombinationcatchesmyeye,Igrabaphoto,areminder ofthatspecialmoment.
Backinthestudio,Idevelopitfurther.Thestudioismyspacetorecallthosemomentsandrefine themintoafinalcomposition.It'swhereItranslatememoriessoviewerscanconnectwiththefeeling ofthatplace,tobetransportedthere.Figuresoftenfindtheirwayintomypaintings,addingapulseto thenarrative,asilentinteractionbetweenpeopleandtheirenvironment.
Pastelsaremychosenmedium.Iappreciatetheirsimplicity–purecoloratmyfingertips.Theirunique luminosityandabilitytolayerandblendallowmetosuggestaworldofeffectswithjustafewstrokes. It'saboutcapturingthetexturesandspiritofalandscape.
Travelingtoanewplaceandencounteringawholenewpaletteofcolorinspirefreshideas.Innovative pastelmaterialsandchangingvistasaremyplayground,pushingmyartisticboundariesandmovingmy artforward.
SusanWarner–ArtistStatement
BarkattheMoon
HiltonHeadBeachinthe Fallwasthesceneforthis capturedmoment.The fullmoonwasrising. OzzyOsbourn’ssong lyricsmadeafunnytitle forthispiece,although therewasnotanybarking orhowlinggoingon.
BlueOctober
ThisistheviewfrommyfrontwindowinNortheastMinneapolis.Thetrees alongourstreetturnbeautifulshadesofredandorangeintheFall.I employedabitofartisticlicenseandaddedourhouseonthefarright.For thetitle,IwaslookingforsomelyricsaboutFallLeavesandcolors,and then,whilestillinthemidstofthepandemic,IthoughtthatBluewasthe bestwaytodescribethisOctober.
33X27Pastel onPaper, CustomMatted andFramed
TheBuceriasbeach, nearPuertoVillarta waslivelyand colorfulonthis beautifulsunnyday. Thetitleisfroma JohnPrinesong.
ByMyself,ButNotAloneismyfirst piecetobeacceptedintoaJuried show.Itwasafinalistinthe2016 ArtistryMNWinterShow.The sceneiswarmandcolorfuland couldeasilybesomewhereinthe U.S.onaFallafternoon.Itis actuallyAweil,SouthSoudan.My husbandwasthereonamission withDoctorsWithoutBorders. Whileworkingonthispiece,Iwas abletofeelclosetohim,even thoughhewassofaraway. Thispaintingwasmyentryinto theFootintheDoorexhibition, displayedattheMinneapolis InstituteofArts,2020. 16X14PastelonPaper,CustomMatted andFramed
ChangeofVenue
Onabeautiful eveninginGranada Spain,wewerenear thefamous Alhambra.The interestingshadow onthepillarcaught myeyeandbecame thestarofthis somewhatabstract piece.The geometricshapeof thetower(ortree)in thedistance contrastswiththe detailoftheshadow.
14X18PastelonPaper CustomMattedandFramed
DestinationUnknownBonaventureCemeteryinSavannah Georgiaisfamouslandmark,known foritswho’s-whooffamous Savannahhistoricalandcelebrity residents.Ispentacoupleofhours walkingaroundit,lookingatthe beautifultreesandextravagant monuments.Therearemany ancientliveoaktreescoveredin SpanishMoss.Itisverypeaceful andbeautiful,initsownway. Thiscemeterywasmadefamousby abookcalled“Midnightinthe GardenofGoodandEvil”.Thetitle ofthispaintingcomesfroman epitaphonabenchatoneofthe graves.Visitorsareinvitedtobring martinisanddrinkatoasttothose whoarerememberedthere.
FarandBeyond:Theseastretchesoutintothehorizonandthe colorsofblueandpeachmakeforabeautifulscene.
AtlanticbeachnearStAugustineFLatsunset
Custommattedandframed 17WX14H
CustomFramedandMatted:19Wx15H
Alateafternoonwalkalong thecanalinLondon,near Regent’sPark.Thiswasa challengetomyselftouse onlythetipsofmypastels. Theeffectisfeatheryand shimmery.
KinniKayaker–Ifyou haveeverpaddledon theKinnikinnickRiverin Wisconsin,youwill recognizethispeaceful stretchwithitslush greenbanks.Ifyou havepaddledthisriver youwillalsoremember theriseinyour heartbeatasyoupeer aroundthatquiet corner,knowingthat theremightbea sectionofrapidsthat willgrabyourkayak,flip itover,orsuckyou dangerouslyclosetoa fallentree.It’sallin goodfunandnottoo serious,butthat anticipationiswhatI rememberwhenIlook atthispiece.
20X16PastelonPaper
LittleTug
Wewerestrollingalong theriverfrontin SavannahGeorgia,when thishugecontainership camethrough,pulling whatlookedlikeatiny boatalongside.Itwas incredibletowatchthem maneuverthatgigantic shipthroughthenarrow riverandunderthe bridge.Iwasexcitedto usesomeofmymanyred pastels,soIchangedthe boatcolorfromgreento red.
16X12PastelonPaper
MidnightattheTurf Club
ThisiconicSt.Paul musicclubisoneof ourfavoriteplacesto seelivemusic.On thisnight,itwas TaylorSeabergand theBlackVelvet Punks.
Image15WX19.5H,Framed22WX27H
RefreshedJuly2022
P-2019NOV01
Mile,MileandaHalf–Thispaintingisan intersectionbetween mylife-longloveofthe outdoorsandmymore recentdiscoveryof pastels.Thetitle“Mile, MileandaHalf”isfrom abackpackingmovieof thesamename.Itisa lightheartedanswerto thehiker’squestion “howmuchfarther?”
Tomeitmeans“we’ve gotawaystogo,so relaxandenjoythe scenery”. 18X16PastelonPaper
AtButlerBeachinFlorida,Iwasstandingonasandbar,withmybackto theAtlanticandfacingWesttowardthisamazingsky.Thetitleisfroma songbyKansas.ItisabouthowweareallonthisEarthtogether.Hereis abitmoreofthelyrics: Wearechildrenofthefuture Maybewe'rejustpassingthroughhere Alldependsonwhatyoudohere
OneMississippi “OneMississippi" pastelonMuseum Board,27x23, customframed. Thisistheviewfrom theUofMwalking bridge,lookingback atdowntown Minneapolisat sunset.Theview haschangedsince thiswaspainted.
Canyoutellwhat’s missing?
OutontheWeekend
WhiletravelinginSpain,we wentonahikeintheSierra Nevadamountains.Thegrasses hadabeautifulgoldenglowand thegroundwasabluishgrey.In thedistance,youcanseethe far-offmountains.Wegota littlelostthatdayandendedup goingcross-countryoverhills andfarmfields.Itwasmore adventurethatIhadexpectedto havethatday,buteventually, wemanagedtofindourway backtothecar.Thetitleisfrom aNeilYoungsong.
RivieraHomesickBlues
OntheRivieracoastof France,nearCapFerrat. Itwasneartheendof ourWintertripin2022 andIwasreadytogo home.
CustomFramedandMatted:19Wx15H
P-2022MAR28
Customframedandmatted, 27WX21H
ScienceExperiment Ilovetryingoutnew techniquesand materials.Forthis experiment,I combinedpan pastels,regularsoft pastels,stencils,and varioustextured materialstocreate afunandcolorful composition
StillMovement
Beachhousesonthehorizon starinthissoftlycolored landscape.Anothersouvenir fromButlerBeach,nearSt. AugustineFlorida.
17WX14HPastelonpaper,CustomMattedandFramed
InTyre,Lebanon,Icameuponthisquietscenewith mutedcolorsintheharboronapeacefulmorning.
CustomFramed:17Wx10H
Ialwaysplannedtodosomekindofseries,andthenIboughta samplepackofUartpastelpaper.Therewere7differentgrits andtheywereall11X6.Itriedoutseveraldifferentcolor combinationswiththelilypondscenes.
Anarrowstreetin NiceFrancewasthe settingforthis eveningstroll.
Weattendedaperformanceof“TheMarriage ofFigaro”attheTheatroMassimoBeliniin Catania,Sicily.Weboughtourticketstheday beforetheperformance,sowehadtotake whatwasleft.Theboxthatourseatswerein wasclosesttothestageontheleftside.We hadtoleanouttoseetheperformersonstage. Instead,Iwatchedtheorchestrabelowme.I lovethebirds-eyeperspectiveofthispainting.
GraffitiBridge
IrarelyuseCanson traditionalpastelpaper, butitworkedwellfor thismonoprint(trace montype)withpastel. Thebridgeisnearour condobuilding-youcan seeitinthebackground. Itisanoldrailroad bridgeandthereis nothingbutairbetween theties.
Image16WX12H,FramedNot
Image10WX8H,Framed15WX10H
P-2023DEC20
Lilypads,again.Ilove paintingthem.Thisonehas allofmyfavoritecolorsinit.
OneSummerDream
OneofthreeentriesintotheWhite BearLakeCenterfortheArts“Into Nature”pleinAircompetition. ThisiswhatIcalltheclassicWhite BearLakeviewthatyouseeasyou drivehomefromthebeach.
Birchtreesareanotheroneof myfavoritesubjects.The referencephotoforthisonewas takeninColorado,atRocky MountainNationalPark.Ihada nicedayofsketchinginthepark. Image6WX8H,Framed13WX15H
P-2023DEC27
InPortugal,wetookacablecartothe topofasmallmountaininthetown ofGuimaraes.Wehikedthroughan areaofhugeboulders.Icaught Mohammadashewaswalkingintoa shaftofsunlight
Image12WX18H,Framed19WX25H
SunlitCaldera
Theviewfromthe Ferryaswepulling intotheterminal onSantorini
Image9WX9H,Framed17WX17H
TheSeventhWave
Image12WX9H, Framed16WX20H
P-2023JAN10
Therhythmandpatternof waveshavealways mesmerizedme.It’ssaid thattheseventhwaveisthe biggest.Thepowerofall thatwateristhrillingto watchasitcrashesonthe shore,thetransparencyof thewaterilluminatingthe colors.Ichosethepainting’s titlefromtheStingsong “LoveistheSeventhWave”. Thesongisabouthowour livesarerockedbytrouble andworries,butthepower ofloveisbuildingandwill overcometheworld’s adversities,ifweletit.
TheMusée d'Orsayisoneof myfavorite museumsandit wasthesiteof thisiconicview throughtheclock tower.
AFlockofGeese restingneartheopen wateronafrozenSt. CroixRiverinHudson WI.Thefrontgooseis onwatchdutywhile theothersrest.
P-2024NOV25
AcompanionpiecetoA NightattheOpera.Thiswas ourviewacrosstotheseas oppositeourbox.Ihadfun recreatingtheantique scrollworkandplush furnishings.
Image18WX10H,Framed24WX14H
Whilevisiting Thessalonikiin Northern Greece,we walkedpastthis prettyfieldof cosmos.
Shadowplay
P-2024JUL05
Duringahikingtrip,I wasamazedatthe bluecolorofmy shadow,comparedto thebrightlylitstone undermyfeet.
Pastelonpaper,mountedon canvasinfloatframe.
Image12WX12H,Framed15WX15H
SantoriniRendezvous
Customframed9X9
P-2024NOV27
Awintereveningin
Santorini.Thebeautiful whitechurcheswithblue domeswerecommonin thesmalltowns.
PasteloncoloredPastel paper,mountedinfloat frame.
Abacklitsceneonthe promenadeinNice,France
TheRighttoRoam(revisited2024)
P-2024NOV25
Hikinginthe Englishcountryside, justafewtrain stopsfromLondon. Werambledalong farmfencesduring thisWinterhike.
WhisperedSunset
Acrosshatched versionofthe MemorialPark inRedWing, Minnesota
UntitledBoatsinHarborAthens
Alonelymotorcyclein analleyinSalerno, Italymademethink aboutwhatitwouldbe liketocommuteina citywithtinystreets andlotsoftraffic.
APillowofWinds
Istartedthisoneduringa workshopwithPastelArtist KarenMargulis.Thetitleis"A PillowofWinds",lyricsfroma PinkFloydsong.Thephoto creditgoestomyfriend KristineLynn.
Image9WX12H,CurrentlyUnframed
HeartbeatPass
WhenIdidtheunder-painting forthis,thetreesandridgeline lookedlikeaheartbeatonan EKG.Thisfitwiththefactthatit wasalong,steeptrailtogetup tothispoint,soHeartbeatPass seemedtobeanappropriate title. OnthelastlegofthePCT,almost toCanada.
StateofMind
ThisisacombinationoftworeferencephotosfromSanJuanIslandInWashington.The colorsandshapeofthefenceremindedmeofAndrewWyeth’s“Christina’sWorld”.I chosethetitleafterreadingaboutChristina.AccordingtoanarticlefromMoMA,his painting,ismoreapsychologicallandscapethanaportrait,aportrayalofastateofmind ratherthanaplace.
13X13imageinablack floatframe. 14X14Framed
