Susan

Brabeau

When I think about what I’d like to know about a person, it would be what influenced them to be the person they are today. So here goes, short sentences and thoughts. I am the person who is carrying all the hopes and dreams of my entire family going back generations. My home is filled with their cherished possessions. I am the great granddaughter of an incredible stone sculptor who brought his family to America from Germany. I share his passion to create and offer it up to others. I am also the great granddaughter of three previous generations of men of color who were conductors in the underground railroad in Michigan to bring slaves over from Canada and free them in Ohio.—— I graduated from Michigan State University with a math and science degree, did the beauty pageant circuit, sang my way through college singing with a big band in Detroit and sang for two presidents, sang the soundtrack for a movie that was nominated for academy award, was an actress in New York City, was the female lead in a musical comedy called Shenandoah on Broadway…… but here’s the important part. I am a wife and a mother and I’m devoted to the care and rescue animals of All kinds, all of this on my wonderful old farm in North Carolina. After over 30 years of constant painting and exploring my craft, I am now only seeing a glimmer of what I can do as an artist. Hard times have made me search my heart for what is really important for me to put on canvas and how I want to do it. Life is good!

In 2019 I decided to embark on a new journey with my oil paintings detouring from a career as a portrait painter and magic realist artist. My creative pivot was an immersion into the extensive gardens on my farm to paint flowers and vegetables. I use a special combination of oil paints and iridescent enamel so the paintings glow even in normal light. Part of my process has been to take photos at night with a special headlamp and flashlight as back lights to make the colors and images pop in my photographs. During these explorations I come across all kinds of interesting insects and amphibians lurking in the dark in my enchanted kingdom. They are a wonderful addition to many of my paintings.

Oil / Alkyd

Susanbrabeau.com