Susan Klinger
Passionate Art for the Discerning Collector
My Passions
I am drawn to the light that shines and illuminates - a pot of flowers, coconuts high in the tree, a leaf clinging to its branch despite being heavy with snow - it is the light that has me transfixed . I am in awe of the translucence; the diffused colors that can appear slightly different each time I glance over. Water, its movement teasing the light into a dance form, it reflects, yet is transparent. Constantly changing. Challenging me to capture its movement. Each season has its own unique light and every season becomes my favorite.
This is how artists get the reputation for being distracted, I must assume. Staring at a curtain at a coffee shop, tilting my head to the side and squinting likely has those that observe me wondering.
But I will never be able to look at a form, a shape, a color, or even the folds of a curtain without trying to imagine what it would be like to transform it onto a canvas or paper.
That deep passion is what keeps me in my studio endlessly creating. It's also what reaches my collector's hearts. Ultimately it's my collector's lifetime of enjoyment that keeps me searching the depths of the light.
My Bio
Artist, Susan Klinger began painting in watercolor, but made the transition to pastel many years ago. “The first time I worked in pastel, I was intrigued by the direct application of pigment to the surface.” Realism has always been her primary focus, but pastel has allowed her to be more expressive and bold in her use of color. “I enjoy the challenge of manipulating color and value to create the illusion of reality on the two-dimensional surface.” Susan also continues to work in other medial from time to time and has been exploring abstraction as a way to express a different side of her artist personality. The two styles of working are quite different, yet each fulfills a need to express her artistic vision in a different way.
Her work has been exhibited in shows throughout the eastern U.S. including the Pastel Society of America Annual Juried Exhibition, the Northeast National Pastel Exhibition and the Shades of Pastel National Exhibition. She exhibits regularly at Off the Wall Gallery in Skippack, PA and is also represented on-line through her own website, www.susanklinger.com and Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including awards in several national exhibitions. She was also the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Perkiomen Valley School District Foundation for promotion of the arts. She is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, the Maryland Pastel Society and the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club. She is an elected artist fellow of the American Artist’s Professional League and also a member of the Southeastern Pastel Society, Greater Norristown Art League, Perkiomen Valley Art Center, and the Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists.
Ms. Klinger taught fine art at Perkiomen Valley High School in Collegeville, PA, for 34 years, until her retirement. During her tenure at Perkiomen Valley, she served as the chairperson of the fine arts department for 14 years and was the dual credit instructor in drawing and painting for Montgomery County Community College. She also has served as an adjunct instructor at Cabrini College and she has taught painting workshops for adults. Currently, in addition to creating her art, she is teaching art privately. She received a bachelor’s degree in art from Millersville University, and a master’s degree (M.Ed. Art) from Kutztown University.
