Susan

Gurganus

A native of Raleigh, Susan Gurganus has drawn and painted since childhood, guided by her mother, painter and potter Naomi Perry, who encouraged forays into different media and styles. At an early age Susan determined to be either a teacher or an artist. She eventually chose pedagogy as a profession, but art remained a passion. Upon graduation from Mars Hill College, Susan taught in the Wake County Public Schools and for the US Department of Defense in Europe before becoming consultant for the Division of Exceptional Children at the NC Department of Public Instruction. In 1991 she joined the faculty of the College of Charleston. There she wrote and illustrated the acclaimed text Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Difficulties, now in its third edition. In retirement Susan has traveled in Europe and the Middle East, painted, and served on the education committee of the North Carolina Museum of Art and as trustee at her collegiate alma mater. Susan studied pastels at Charleston's Gibbes Museum, charcoal live-model portraiture at the College of Charleston, oil self-portraiture at NCMA, and plein air painting at the John Campbell Folk School and Florence Thomas Gallery. She paints mainly in oils with a range of subjects--people, places, and objects from different perspectives. Her work has been exhibited at the Weizenblatt Gallery on the Blue Ridge and featured in Southwest Art Magazine.

My artwork is influenced by experiences such as reading, travel, visits to museums and galleries, engaging with creative friends. "Painting Perspectives," the title of my website, reflects the imperatives of rendering diverse themes and exploring what varied subjects and media afford. Each painting presents a challenge to construct the composition and weigh the values of the color palette. I typically begin with an underpainting in acrylic. Sometimes I sketch with ink to delineate form, sometimes with thin oil. Next I block in areas, resisting the temptation to treat detail. Once I am satisfied with the overall composition and value scheme, I begin working from darker to lighter areas or vice versa. In the last stage I move to detail--the light in an eye, sunlight on a leaf, a rope holding a skiff, the shadow across a branch. I use high-quality oils such as Charvin Extra Fine, Gamblin, and Williamsburg. When painting en plein air I use water-soluble oils. My choice of surface depends on the subject and size of work, but I am selecting pre-primed linen and cradled wood more often. Finding subjects is never difficult. I may be working on two or three paintings simultaneously. Any painting is interpreted by viewers based on their experiences, much like a passage of literature is explicated by the reader. This interpretation facilitates closer connections with paintings, so they continue to interest viewers. Forming connections and fomenting interest are my goals as an artist.

Oil / Alkyd

https://susangurganus.net

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