Susan Sheinwald Most
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On my birthday when I was young, my grandmother would let me select one of her paintings as a gift. Her use of a palette knife and thick application of oil paint made scenes of the ocean and flowers rich and vibrant. Decades later, her paintings continue to bring enjoyment to our family, inspiring several of my grandchildren to want to follow in her footsteps as I had wanted to do but did not think possible.
For 25 years as a professional writer and public relations professional, I worked with graphic designers on brochures and newsletters and pursued amateur photography. In 2000, I decided to seriously explore my lifelong desire to paint and took continuing education courses at the Maine College of Art. Though very different than using words to create images, painting creates an immediate connection with an observer that I find immensely rewarding.
In October 2007, the Toby Rosenberg Gallery on Read Street in Portland featured 25 of my paintings in a solo exhibition. A number of these are now hanging in homes in Portland and in Boston. The River Tree Center for the Arts in Kennebunk exhibited two of my boat paintings in its summer 2008 juried show titled, "Maine Scenes." Saco Bay Artists also included my work in its summer 2008 Seaside show.
Someone said my most effective work seems to involve a physical exploration of the inside and outside of forms including boats and tubular blossoms, such as the arc made in the curve of an iris or a lily. I find these defined shapes particularly interesting and feel compelled to grab pastels or paints to record the wonderful gestures created as blossoms emerge.
Mixing paint is soothing and fascinating. The fluidity of acrylics makes it possible to experiment with a few drops of paint to create beautiful variations of color. Pastels encourage continual adaptation and enhancement, allowing a buildup of layers of pigment to keep changing the image until it expresses what I see.
Maine offers an exciting array of wonderful harbors and vessels with interesting forms. My husband and adult children grow most of the flowers that appear in my work, which makes me feel very connected to my family and the legacy of my grandmother.
Solo exhibit: Toby Rosenbery Gallery, Fall 2008
Juried group exhibit: River Tree Center for Arts, Kennebunk, Summer 2008
Juried group show: Saco Bay Artists, Summer 2008