Inside My Studio: A New Mixed Media Painting + What’s Taking Shape

To Be Continued… Is Finished And Re-Titled!

Hello You!

I’m excited to share that I finished To Be Continued… It turned into such a great painting with a story and presence I couldn't have planned. I changed the title to reflect her story and give it finality. Meet... Peace Maker

For memory's sake, here is what it looked like before I 'finished' it. I liked so much of what was on the canvas, so many shapes and colors to work with. I pushed myself to edit it down by painting over a lot of areas. Sometimes I was covering up an element and sometimes I was making the background color more unified. I hadn't planned on a figure and that's when 'she' showed up! A little moody and uncertain at times but making peace with her pieces. (both the quote beside her and the inspiration for the title)

I loved the butterfly and how she landed there in the middle so I boldly kept her and the bulldog character on the left. He is cool just the way he is so I didn't have to adjust much there except add some color for him to stand on. The top left is where I spent the most time trying to see what was in the shapes or what I could add. I love the final version of the flowers in a vase. Those flowers are from a piece of packing paper I used to clean off my brush, isn't that fun?!

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There's so many cool details up close. Layers of paint and collage, different papers and textures, marks and small areas that become paintings within the painting. Even the sides are part of the piece, with painted corrugated paper wrapping around the canvas.

Peace Maker

36" x 36" acrylic painting with collage on canvas. Wired and ready to hang.

As one of my VIP subscribers, I’m offering you a one-time opportunity to purchase Peace Maker for $1,950 (excluding tax and shipping). Interested? I hope so! Just get in touch with me. (susiezolart@gmail.com) If you’re local, we may be able to arrange pickup and avoid shipping costs.

What started as a loose and playful approach to adding layers has become a thoughtful, considered painting with a story about living your life by making peace with your pieces.

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Something small is coming!

As I shared in my last post, I'm working on a new series of small works for my annual year-end offering and they're starting to come together! I’m not quite ready to show them yet and want to give myself a little more creative time before they are ready for you but don't worry, you’ll get an exclusive first look soon.

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Meanwhile, on my studio wall…

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I’ve been experimenting lately, and exploring. Not with a particular series or finished painting in mind, but with listening more to how I feel about what I'm painting and strengthening my relationship with myself through painting. I’m becoming more comfortable letting a painting stay unresolved for a while. I can start something, leave it, come back to it, paint over parts of it, or follow something unexpected without feeling like I need to know where it’s going. That's new for me. I had grown accustomed to spending my time resolving the painting, as if there was always something to be resolved. Sometimes a painting is just intuitive marks.

While some paintings may happen quickly, others may take months. I’m realizing the speed of my work isn't what matters. What matters is staying curious, being in the experience and giving myself room to discover something I couldn’t have planned ahead of time.

I have a feeling some interesting paintings are going to come out of this season.

For now, I’m very happy to send Peace Maker out into the world and acknowledge there’s more to come.

With Gratitude,

Susie