Susan M Gibbons

  2-11-22 Silent Splendor   The rhythm of The snowfall moves And swirls   Until their dance Lands in unison Blanketing the earth   In silent splendor  

 1-25-2022 It's snowing here in Denver creating a beautiful blanket of white over everything. When it snows, it always reminds me of new beginnings. The old is covered and the freshness and newness of the white cleanses the grime of what came before. This got me thinking of what is new in my life. This is really the first year I haven't made resolutions. I'm thinking of them more as goals or new directions instead of resolutions.  I want to push my art work to the next level. I've spent since 2019 working on my Stirring Series and it has gotten me to a good place, professionally, creatively, and spiritually. My work has always been reflective of my relationship with the Spirit but now, I feel that intensify. What is within my psyche and spirit is coming forth in a frenzy - not in a bad way but in a way that is exemplifying the energy and movement of the Spirit. Joy has returned to the work. In one sense, I'm simplifying things but in another sense, I'm building ...

 12-15-2020 How art itself is awakened in a humble brushstroke, making the surface of the support vibrate, printing a dynamic movement in the eyes of the viewer, making the barriers of distance jump to tell us from the underground texture: “what you feel is emotion, not you are ashamed, do not look for an explanation”, this work is an example, brilliant. Victor Lopezrua The above quote is a response for one of my latest, Stirring Series paintings on Instagram. I was very humbled with his kind words. While I thanked him for his gracious comment, it had me thinking about that humble brushstroke.  It does awaken a stirring within us and it is that stirring that brings about an awakening which begins with a single stroke.  It takes a level of faith to create, to trust the process.  It takes guts sometimes to make that first brushstroke. But once it's done, the creating can begin. It arises from that first stroke illuminating the first idea, then moving forward adding str...

 11-9-2020 I hit the wall. I got to the point where I couldn't create. I'm slowly coming out of it but it lasted a couple of months. I couldn't create. The only thing I could do was rest and think. Even then, thinking was difficult. It has been a long while since I was in this place. I'm usually very productive and creative but this time, all of my energy was sapped. It was an uncomfortable place. I had painted over 30 paintings and almost 20 drawings. I felt I was on a roll but it came to a screeching halt. Was I tired? Yes. Did I feel like I exhausted my possibilities with my work? No. But I felt a change coming. What that is, I'm not sure yet. I feel a new sense of stirring which will inform my work but I'm in the dark as to what it is. I know I need to get into the studio and work it out. This is unknown and uncharted territory of which I embrace. I'm excited to see what comes out of it but I'm still tired. I'm still in this place of inaction. I...

 8-10-2020 “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Edgar Degas What does an artist see? How does the artist translate it to others? How does the magic of an art work happen?  One of the first things that an artist learns is how to see.  Beginning with rudimentary observation skills to the development of intuitive creating, seeing becomes paramount to the creation of any art work.  Seeing encompasses a large percentage of the creative process. But what is 'seeing'? It is more that just looking at something to copy it.  Seeing involves much deeper and intuitive factors. Seeing allows the artist to take what is before her/him and bring to to a place of significance - bringing it out of the ordinary, of cognizance - making the artist and viewer aware of something new, and transcendence - transforming the moment to a new level of understanding.   It is within these factors that an art work speaks.  The creative endeavor of an arti...

7-31-2020 Every production of an artist should be the expression of an adventure of his soul. W. Somerset Maugham I couldn't agree more with this quote. The creation of art is an adventure, one that requires honesty, trust, commitment, and faith. Without them, the works suffers. Honesty is essential to the artist, for the creation of the work is a direct outpouring of what is inside her/him. It's a reflection of the soul. If the artist is not honest, if the artist is holding back or relying on copying another visual source and not interpreting it with her/his own unique perspective, then honesty is compromised. Even not taking a risk can compromise the honesty of a work. Honesty requires the artist to dig deep and pull out what needs to be said, unabashedly, in the work of art. That is where the adventure begins, being true to oneself helps create works of art that are unique to the artist's voice. Trust is another component of creating work. Artists need to trust the proce...

7-20-2020 I've been busy in the studio, working on paintings and pastel drawings. I found a new surge of energy after a time of not feeling to inspired. I'm excited about what I've created. I'm still working on my Stirring Series and a new series of pastel drawings titled, Verve. They, like the paintings, have much movement and energy. I feel like they reflect the chaos and energy of the time. I've also hung my solo show at D'art Gallery in a smaller gallery within the space. The room is filled to the brim with my work and it has energy! I'm very pleased. It's been a blessing and honor to be able to exhibit. My hope is that the work touches those who see it. This time of Covid-19 has been a challenge for when I didn't have the energy or desire to create, it really affected me. I finally forced myself to paint and was glad I did for the creative force that drives me was renewed. I've been listening to many artist friends that have said this ti...

6-27-2020 It's been a while since I've written. We had the coronavirus hit our house and while only one of us was affected, it was scary.  Everything was sanitized, we were doing lots of laundry, wiping everything down while my poor husband was in isolation.  He's fully recovered, thank the Lord, but it was not fun.  While in some ways I've appreciated the down time that the stay-at-home has brought me, in other ways, it's been very difficult.  Worring about my husband and not being able to see family and friends is taking its toll.  I know many of my friends are experiencing similar feelings, especially those who are alone.  The one thing that this has taught me is that it is my responsibility to reach out to others.  I'm grateful for face-to-face platforms, phone, texting for they've given me a chance to connect with people.  This time has also given me a chance to connect in the studio.  At first, I was painting up a storm, creating man...

3-24-2020 Bara', the Hebrew word for create.  This verb literally translates: to shape, to fashion, to create.  It is the verb used when God is creating the world the the things in it, conditions and circumstances, and transformations. It is a pretty comprehensive word when it comes to creation.  It was the force that God used to make it all. It is that force that allows us to create in our own unique way.  It is a force that can mold and transform us to create incredible works that speak to us as humans.  I believe that we are made in His image - both male and female - and when we create, being linked to the Creator, we can tap into that same creative force. This brings me comfort to do what I need to do as an artist.  I have the ability, through the creative force of God, to create.  Does that mean everything I do is wonderful?! Of course, no but it does mean that if I lean into the Spirit, listen to the still, small voice, I can make, I can be fa...

3-18-2020 Coronavirus.  This is a word that strikes fear, anxiety, skepticism, caution, and panic in people.  It is showing us both the bad and good in people and forcing us to isolate and reduce our physical connections with them as well.  I'm actually in isolation now, per my doctor, for my protection.  I had pneumonia a couple of months back and my lungs hurt so we're taking precautions, just in case.  It's a good thing although it will be hard because I really am a social butterfly.  This isolation gives me time to redirect myself towards what is really important: my family, my faith, my friends, and my art.  Even though I'm not going out of the house, I'm so appreciative of our modern conveniences like the phone and internet.  It keeps me connected.  I guess that's the takeaway.  Stay connected even though we're separated.  The physical separation cannot stop the emotional and spiritual connections we have.  They transc...

2-18-2020 I played today...  played in the studio after spending most of the morning printing my linocuts.  It felt good to just play and not worry about the end result - just having fun with the medium and imagery.  It's nice to take the pressure off and just create for the sheer fun of it.  Not that other times aren't fun but how many times are we creating for a show, commission, or have some other deadline to fulfill and not relaxed enough to let things just happen?  Sometimes playing gets put to the wayside and we get caught up in the production and not the process.  Today was fun, today was pure play and it was a blast!  It was messy too!  I was working on a monotype with soft pastel.  Since the ink was waterbased, the pastel worked differently than with oilbased inks which made it a fun time of experimenting.  Nevertheless, it was a nice break from the intensity of what I've been working on with my Stirring Series and Lamentati...

2-10-2020 I turn 60 this week.  I'm excited to turn that age for I don't see it as negative but as a positive point in my life.  It means I've been granted to live this long and been able to have a family, friends, and of course, be an artist for the majority of those years.  As I reflect on my life artistically, I'm coming to the conclusion that this journey I'm on is really about process and the experience of making art.  The 'product' is the outcome of this experience but this 'product' records the movement and markmaking of my creativity, whether it be painting, sculpture, or something else.  I've also come to realize that I don't need to come up with something original, just something honest.  The originality comes with honesty; it comes from being in tuned with who I am and how I want to express myself.  For so long I thought that I had to create something that had a cooresponding concept or idea.  I'm realizing that I am enough....

“If you hear a voice within you saying, ‘You are not a painter,’ then by all means paint, boy, and that voice will be silenced.” ~ Vincent van Gogh Ever have the doubt that you're not a painter or an artist? Or that you can't do it?  It happens all the time.  In fact, I've been told that if you don't hear that voice, or doubt yourself, you're in trouble!  For there is always something to learn, something to help you grow in your craft.  Once we think we've made it, we've stagnated and that is not a good place for an artist or anyone to be.  I can't imagine staying with one thing within my work and becoming stagnant.  I'd get bored and I would fear that the work would become mediocre. I think that doubt can be a good thing, something that we can embrace.  Doubt allows us to think about what we are doing, critically reviewing our work, our practice, and our process.  It gives us a gift, if you will, of being able to change ourselves in...

“The urge to destroy is also a creative urge.” Mikhail Bakunin Have you ever wanted to destroy something you've created?  Have you ever gotten to the point of  being completely done with a painting or sculpture?  It happens.  We, as artists, get to the point that we're through with what we've created; we don't like it and it's not working, so we want to destroy it.  As Mikhail Bakunin states that the destructive urge...  'is also a creative urge' (granted, he was a revolutionary anarchist but his statement is true). It is part of the creative process.  So many times we think that we shouldn't destroy what we've created.  But that urge, that part of the process can be very cleansing, very illuminating.  It gets rid of that which is holding us back or hindering us to go to the next level or place in our artistic journey.   Destruction also gives the artist the opportunity to take risks.  Risks are essential to creating f...

'A painting is not a picture of an experience, but is the experience.' Mark Rothko I really resonate with this quote from Mark Rothko.  For so much of contemporary art is about the relationship of color, shape, value, and form but much of that work goes deeper than that.  The painting that is created from the depths of an artist's soul is more that the formal elements that create it.  The work that embodies the emotions, intent, and spirit of the artist gives us so much more to s/he who created it and s/he who views it.  It becomes a sacred space where two souls can converge to relate and resonate with what makes us human.  The experience of painting, the moments where paint and brush hit the canvas, translates what is inside of the artist; it is the essence of the creative force that makes the work.  It then becomes the experience.  The remnant of that experience is what lies on the canvas. It is sometimes raw, sometimes beautiful, and sometimes...

1-15-2020 "Abstract is not a style.  I simply want to make a surface work." Joan Mitchell Happy New Year!!!  It's a new year and decade.  Wow, it's hard to believe that we're in the 2020's.  I'm looking forward to seeing what this new year will bring.  I'm excited about what is happening in the studio.  I've been working on the Stirring Series and it's been getting good feedback from artists and non-artists alike.  It's very encouraging.  As I stated in my last blog post, I have to go to a place of anxiety to create these which isn't comfortable.  But yet within the anxiety, excitement lies.  It's a weird combination of both emotions.  The anxiety fuels the painting process and the excitement helps spur the process onward towards the final outcome.  In a way, I feel like I'm working in the spirit of Joan Mitchell.  After spending time with her work, I finally 'get it'.  I've always loved her work but now, I ...

12-16-19 Have you ever felt so agitated inside that you had to get it all out?  I was like that last week and went to my studio and painted.  What came out of it was good for me - six paintings.  I was a painting fiend!  It felt so good but at the same time, it was an anxious place for where I was and where I had to go mentally, was an uncomfortable place.  I'm pleased as to what was produced but it was not easy painting.  In fact, I was exhausted afterwards. It was very physical.  I do want to paint more of these.  It's not that they were 'fun' to paint, they were needed for me to paint and felt very unrestrained and honest.  I was happy with the results.  I just now, want to go very big with them.  They were painted on Rives BFK printmaking paper (acrylic), 30"x22", which is a good size but I can see them going to four-six feet in size.  It was a challenge and really, I wasn't sure of what exactly I was doing.  I jus...

12-5-19 Entering into the studio is a sacred time.  As artists, we can forget that especially as deadlines loom over us or the business aspect of our craft needs attention.  But really, the time in the studio is sacred.  It creates for us a place to be, to contemplate, to struggle, to work through obstacles, to achieve (or not) our desired expression.  It is a time of connecting to ourselves, to our being, to create and capture the moment of when the connection is made between ourselves and the work and eventually to others. It is also a time for us to relinquish the worries and cares of our lives and enter into a place of active being.  This seems to be a oxymoron for to be, many times, we are resting but in the studio, we are working.  But it goes beyond work.  It is the time where we enter the 'zone', that place where our creative actions, materials, concepts, and execution all come into one. The synergy of that time creates the sacred space in ...

11-19-19 Well, I'm back.  Had a nasty bought of pneumonia during the month of October which kept me down for the count.  Obviously, my art making virtually ceased for that time. I was able to work on small collages and drawings when my strength gained but for the most part, I had to lay pretty low.  What hit me during this time was just how much I depend on my art practice for my stability and joy.  My time in the studio grounds me and keeps me focused on not just art making, but allows me the space I need to contemplate what is truly important in my life.  I realized just how much contentment I derive from making art.  It also gave me an appreciation of health and how fast it can be lost.  The pneumonia hit me overnight.  I've never been this sick before.  Being bedridden, not able to do for myself, gave me such gratitude for when I am healthy.  It also gave me an appreciation for my family and friends who helped me through it....

“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 succes...