Bio
BIO General Highlights.
An additional BIO has been created along with a second website, for original paintings only see: www.susanslapincontemporaryabstracts.com
As a child, Connecticut~ autumn leaves, frequent visits to Grandfather’s Printing Company where many images/album covers rolled off the forward rolling presses. Big awareness around color, it’s intricacies and juxtapositions. California: Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, Beverly Hills~film archivist, black & white prints from movie classics. First film camera, age 18, Nikormat, gift from my brother Bob~Gratitude! Attended Colleges in California including San Francisco Art Institute, with emphasis in printmaking/lithography.
Graphic designer/Image Graphics, Beverly Hills, CA. Jewelry/Berkeley, CA. Wearable Art/Ojai, CA. Invitational Wearable Art Show at Santa Barbara’s Arlington Theater featured 10 known international designers & 10 new. Amazing experience~100 foot runway~layers of painted silk and canvas flowing to music.
Received Bachelors in Art degree from Marylhurst University, Oregon with emphasis in printmaking & photography~a touch of poetry. Spent countless hours in photography darkroom developing images.
Solo & Group exhibits include – Marylhurst University/Streff Gallery/West Linn, Oregon~solo exhibit~printmaking/etching & monotype; Receives Critic’s Choice Award~The Oregonian. Etchings & monotypes featured at Mark Stewart Designer Showcase/Aloha, Oregon. MONA: Museum of Northwest Art/La Connor, Washington~invitational group show/benefit; work in monotype & photography. Gallery 525, Ojai, California. Orcas Center.
GALLERY REPRESENTATION: Waterfront Gallery on Orcas Island, (360) 376-5949.
Arts Facilitator~Teaching includes Artist in Residence programs: CA. Ojai Valley School~Thacher School. Oregon & Washington Public Schools. Lessons~Workshops in Elements of Art include beginning sketching, design & color, mask making, printmaking/monoprint, exploring creative voice, mixed media painting, mandalas, soft pastels.
ART – CREATIVITY COACH.
Women’s Wellness Retreats: Mandalas. Women’s Groups: Creative Process.
Writer/photographer: Journal of San Juan Islands. Published articles and images…magazines~periodicals, including Sharing News, Ojai, Ca., SHARKREEF.org (online, see SHARKREEF search bar for archived images.)
Chapbook~”Island Passages”, sepia photography & poetry.
UPDATE 2024: Three Limited Edition Artist Books. Visual imagery and poetry – prose.
On-going education: art & poetry courses interspersed….a dash of Improv.
Artist In Residence: Studio work in Painting~Mendocino Art Center 2012
I love painting relatively abstract color fields/acrylic & mixed media, along with pure pigment soft pastels, often referring to t land and seascape, ask about commissions.
Each medium evokes a different question – approach, and on-going understanding. Each is a different material with specific aspects, requirements, explorations, nuances, and Joys!
I enjoy photographing people & place…special moments and unique beauty, small gatherings and celebrations, as available. Inquiries: Email: susan@susanslapin.com.