Susan Adams in front of "Waiting" watercolor & gouache on paper
Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Sonoma State University. Susan’s awards include the Miriam Schorr Award for Works on Paper from the National Association of Women Artists, New York. She maintains a working studio in the Petaluma countryside
Bio
Motivated by curiosity, confidence and a steadfast optimism, Adams’ journey has been a varied one. Her talent as a musician led to much success writing music and composing soundtracks for animated films. She performed in several rock bands and also played piano in her own jazz trio.
Statement
My aim is to capture both the quality of light and also the essence of whatever I paint. My mission is to fuse visual and spiritual content with technical knowledge in order to build a bridge between the viewer and myself. It is a lifelong journey and begins with the fundamentals. I believe that mastering the fundamentals of any art form is liberating, giving one the freedom of effortless expression.
Painting is about seeing. I see color, shapes and values, and arrange them into a pleasing composition. My seeing becomes more refined as I perceive the color of light and how it affects the color of objects. With every plane change in an object, there is a color change. Claude Monet introduced this way of seeing and differentiating the color of morning light, light in full sun, light on a gray day, etc. For me, however, painting is not limited to the color of light on form; it is also about sensing the spirit that lives within that form. As I evolve as an artist, the journey paradoxically becomes a quest to know myself. It is a journey of love and devotion.
I enjoy painting all genres: still life, abstraction, landscape and figurative. My medium of choice is watercolor, although I also paint with oils and sometimes acrylics. My non-objective abstractions are about applying eight artistic principles to the seven artistic elements—held together with a strong underlying design. With still life, I respond to the beauty of everyday objects. My figurative work speaks to the inner life that unifies ordinary people. With landscapes I seek to honor the spiritual presence in nature. All are excerpts from life’s universal panorama—the art that colors my life
“As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life. –John Lubbock
Susan Adams Class schedule can be found here
