My paintings are stories created from memories

CC     Can you walk us through your journey as a creative? How did you get started, and what led you to where you are today?

SS     As a youth my passion was classical dance. I began my studies at the Boston Ballet and eventually became an apprentice. At seventeen, as soon as I graduated from High school I left Boston and went to NYC and was hired by the Joffrey Ballet as the youngest dancer ever hired. It was at this time that I realized my true love wasn’t just dance but also the visual arts. I left the dance world and moved to France with my husband in 1985. I had two children and continued drawing and painting. Eventually I started doing Wall Murals with my husband for large French commercial corporations like King Jouet and Bebe Kid. It was at this time that I also began selling and creating advertising posters for famous French Brands of Cognac, Pineau and Brandy. Over time my focus changed to only fine art mainly painting and sculpture. I continued to develop these skills at The Ecole Superieur d’Art Annecy Alpes. Studying for a few years there and then began selling paintings through galleries, online with ebay and through my personal website. Today I sell my paintings through my online site (susanstewartartist.com), Saatchi Art (saatchiart.com/account/profile/9832), and Artfinder (artfinder.com/artist/susan-stewart)

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CC     What are you working on these days?

SS     Moving back to the States after 30 years in France my focus is working on getting established in a new country. My style has developed over the years but I continue to be a figurative and landscape artist. My paintings are stories that I have created from memories. I paint with bright colors in an attempt to “enhance peoples lives” and bring a positive energy to the spectator. I want my paintings to resonate with the viewer on a personal level. At this very moment I am working on two paintings, one is a portrait and the other is a landscape.

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CC     What does a typical day look like for you?

SS     I paint from after lunch until around 3:30 everyday. I am usually working on two or three paintings at a time so as not to get too attached to any painting as the work becomes too precious and tight. Sometimes I let many months go by without working on a piece then one day I look at it and it comes to me what needs to be done.

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CC     What tools can’t you live without?

SS     I cannot paint without my color wheel by my side or my photos that are inspiring me. I never copy but I like to have the images available that I am planning on using to create my stories. I often use many images from different moments and assemble them together to create new imagined memories.

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The Artists that inspire me most are David Hockney, Peter Doig and Edvard Munch. Three of the most influentual figurative artists of this century.

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CC     What or who inspires you?

SS      I have always been inspired by the Arts in general Music, poetry, dance and the visual Arts. The Artists that inspire me most are David Hockney, Peter Doig and Edvard Munch. Three of the most influentual figurative artists of this century. Their work inspires me mostly because of their expressiveness and the techniques they use to get them across.

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CC     What would you like to learn more about in the future?

SS     I am always learning. I will always think of myself as a student of the Arts. I pour over the works of hundreds of artists and learn different techniques and ideas. I am fascinated by the Visual Arts in general and it gives me great pleasure. I do sculpture too so this is always a learning experience.

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I think the most difficult part of being an artist is forcing yourself to get the work out there. It is always difficult as an artist to show because it is opening up your inner self to the judgement of others that may not understand your work.

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CC     What do you find most challenging as a creative?

SS     I think the most difficult part of being an artist is forcing yourself to get the work out there. It is always difficult as an artist to show because it is opening up your inner self to the judgement of others that may not understand your work. It is important to never let the judgement of others get to you. You must be confident of the work.

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CC     What do you think creatives on Cape Cod could improve on?

SS     I think change is hard for many artists and art galleries. Many artists and galleries show work that they believe will sell. We live in a tourist destination spot so many of the paintings we see can be commercial during the tourist season. Which is understandable but I think its important to give different styles a chance and keep an open mind when it comes to Art.

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CC     What do you do when you're not working?

SS     I am an avid walker and love my two dogs that are my walking companions. I love nature and worry about the state of the planet constantly. My paintings are based upon this love and wanting to pay tribute to nature. I am also a photographer and spend a lot of time recording the nature that surrounds us.

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This interview was done over email.
Photography: Christine Johannessen

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