SUSAN'S ART

Although writing is my first love, I started drawing portraits when I was in grade school. It was another way to stay out of the way of family arguments and to try to connect to other human beings at a time when I felt very disconnected.

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I kept my drawings stashed away in the closet until I was in my late 30s, when some major life changes prompted me to take more interest in developing my artistic skills. I’ve since experimented with several mediums, attended workshops, and participated for many years in a weekly life drawing group. In 2006 I began entering works in small community shows and juried exhibits. I’ve received some awards, sold a few pieces, and completed a handful of commissions, although I’m not particularly fond of commission work.

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I work mostly in charcoal and pencil. I usually strive for realism and accuracy, and sometimes get lost in the details. I love doing Sharpie Art and sketches in pen in order to build my self-trust, learn how to give up control and simply watch the work emerge. With pen, there is no going back, no changing or correcting anything.

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My art is highly personal, and it’s a process more than a product. It’s a spiritual practice; one in which I can turn off all the chatter in my mind. This is how I let it all out, all these emotions – the regret, loneliness, doubts, fears, and yearnings inside me – and let them flow freely from my hand and onto the page.