SUSAN STEPHENSON
 

Since moving to California, I find a new vibrancy in color relationships, as if the gift of abundant sunshine brings a shot of optimistic energy. This fresh luminosity encourages me to look for new methods of conveying sunlight and its sharp shadows; in using translucent pigments in my latest paintings, I feel as if I’ve reconnected with a brand-new Old Friend – a welcome companion to the opaque paint in my earlier work. Addressing beloved subject matter with a different eye has made the entire act of painting new again.

In developing my panoramic oil paintings, I transform everyday observations by exploring color and light interactions. Traffic lights and stop signs inspire me, along with the “do not pass” lines in the road. People often sleepwalk past unexpected moments of beauty, but rather than wait for our culture to look back wistfully at some of the things we currently overlook, I prefer to show their beauty right now. Why wait?

Balancing abstraction with reality is meditative, and I search for a similar equilibrium between the overlooked patterns of modern life and contemporary scenery. In this synergy, I hope to find that peculiar blend of kooky and beautiful that I find so compelling.