Susan M Gibbons

“I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own.”  Jackson Pollock Fear... it is the killer of art.  When working on a painting or any work of art, fear can ruin the creative process.  I've always told my students that fear shows in the work when they are not willing to take the risk.  It's better to take the risk and fail than to not risk at all.    Taking risks within the work allows the unknown to manifest itself.  It allows the painting to speak to the artist, guiding them in the work.  It heavily relies on intuition.  And that intuition is cultivated by doing the work. It is cultivated by working through the difficulties in a painting, failing if necessary, in order to learn.  But the process of learning what works and what doesn't, is all part of the process.     An artist has to be willing to completely destroy the work in order for it to be successful.  It takes guts sometimes to do that.  Keeping

9-16-19 What Was Before Emptiness fills The void that Was left by you Sudden grief Takes a hold Of what was before Memory recalls Of times past And moments gone Echoing remembrances Sustained within Sorrow’s heart

I've been remembering the events of 9-1-2001.  It's been 18 years since that horrible day.  I distinctly remember what I was doing when I found out and will never forget the look on my husband's face during the attacks.  I remember feeling completely helpless as the events unfolded. The sorrow that overwhelmed me was intense.  So much loss.  So much pain.  The sorrow was smothering.  I kept watching the TV, trying to make sense of it all.  Of course, no sense was to be made.  It was madness.   I was also mad. Mad at the audacity of the attacks, mad at the loss of life, mad at the terror that was inflicted on our nation.  I remember watching a video later of Osama Bin Laden stating that the entire country of America was in fear.  'No, I thought, You're going to see anger, our anger and we're fighting back.'  Anger wasn't just the only response though.  We saw people coming together, helping one another. We saw compassion, great compassion towards each

“I choose that my art be engaged in that which exalts the spirit of man.” Clyfford Still Clyfford Still is one of my favorite artists and his work, inspiration.  There is a quote that describes Still on a mural in Denver.  It states:  "The canvas was his ally.  The paint and trowel were his weapons.  And the art world was his enemy."  Pretty powerful words for describing an artis t but his work truly is powerful.  The boldness with which he painted has always struck me.  His mark making alone shows his confidence and his authority.  If ever you are in Denver, visiting the Clyfford Still Museum is a must.    Clyfford Still PH-1187, 1956 The museum is one of my favorite places here in Denver.  I can breathe there and just be.  I'm always ready to create after visiting his work.  Having such a wealth of inspiration so close is wonderful.  For me, Still is successful, his work does exalt the spirit of man; his work is life, energy, and speaks from