Artist's Statement

Movement and stillness. Chaos and order. Balancing these opposing energies, working with chaos by cultivating order, natural beauty and playfulness has been my way - in art and life – since childhood. I’ve always been moved and excited by color, form, and the act of making something. Cooking, sewing and gardening bring me alive – each in their distinct way. But painting brings me a deep satisfaction that only comes through the freedom and abandon of pushing paint around. When I paint there is no plan, no expected outcome, no destination other than pleasing my sensibilities and finding solutions to the visual problems that arise through the practice. By creating a space where intuition rules, I allow myself to wordlessly express whatever arises. In this way painting brings me in touch with my deepest self.

For me, painting is a dance between intuitive mark making and informed discernment, a call-and-response with the marks on the board. I work in multiples, usually four to eight paintings in a series. I begin each piece by playing with composition, color and mark making, moving from one board to the next, keeping what I like and removing what I don't. As the layers of paint and paper collage build, I scratch and sand through the surface to discover colors, marks and textures in forgotten layers. I work toward flow and balance in structure and color, often reminding myself that risk taking leads to the most interesting results. I keep working this way, layer upon layer, until I feel that the piece has visual integrity and I have a felt sense of completion. Sometimes I find my way through the painting easily, after only a few layers; other times many layers are put down – and many challenges met – before the work is completed.

If you have questions or comments about my work, please drop me a line through the contact form on this site. I’d love to hear from you! And follow me on Instagram (@susanhandlen) or join my email list to keep up with what’s happening in my studio.