Susan Klinger

Could a portrait drawing be my ticket out of the artistic doldrums? Getting back to basics was exactly what I needed!

Sometimes life throws you a curveball. Or two. How my art process served as my life preserver during a difficult turn of events.

Titles. Every painting should have one. It can help the viewer connect with the image. Some titles come easily. I occasionally know the title before the painting is off the easel. On rare occasions, I know the the title before the first pastel stroke hits the surface. But there are times when an interesting title for a newly completed painting seems elusive. I have written recently about my series of sky paintings. Many are of sunset or sunrise. I have attempted to be

It was early in my art teaching career. I was enjoying a local art/craft show on the weekend. I wandered into an artist’s booth, a ceramic artist if I remember correctly. We struck up a conversation and I learned she had also been an art teacher who had retired early. I forget how the conversation developed, but at one point she asked me if I had ever heard the phrase about art teachers. I suppose I looked confused. She went on to tell me that art teachers are commonly s

It’s funny how motivation can strike, run hot, and then…it’s gone. This happens more times than I like to admit when it comes to my painting. I see a specific scene. I may take a photo. Or I may get the idea for a concept – perhaps an idea for a series of works with no particular image in mind. The idea may roll around in my head for a while. At some point, I begin to get a strong urge that this is what I need to be working on next. I do some preliminary sketches to flesh

I can find inspiration to paint any time of year, but summer is particularly bountiful in providing visual inspiration. Just last week, I happened upon these wonderful blossoms on my morning walk. It was a day after some heavy evening rain, so the raindrops were still clinging to the flowers. (This is the benefit of getting outside to do my walk versus indoors on a treadmill or the gym.) The sun was just beginning to break through the clouds, making the water droplets spa

Many years ago, while framing work for a show, my husband requested I not sell my pastel, “New Day Dawning – Sunrise over the Sea of Abaco”. At the time, I did not ask why. I was just so touched that he liked this piece enough to ask me not to sell it. I must note that my better half is the technical one in the family, not the appreciator of art, so this request meant a lot to me. It was just recently that he shared with me what it is about that piece that brings him joy.

Too much discord. Too much conflict. That is what I was feeling last week. All of the political turmoil had left me feeling tense and drained. I needed a break. In the midst of preparing for a solo show, a vacation to a sunny beach was not an option. I needed an hour, not a week that involved reservations and planning. The weather outside was cold and gray, so off to my framer I went. Wait. What?! Yep! Not that I had ever thought of it like this before, but a trip to v