January Artist of the Month

Each month LARAC highlights the work of an Artist from the Adirondack Region.

Susan Wiley is a graduate of Queens College and has worked in nursing and in publishing before settling into a full-time career in art.  Susan says that she started out as a ‘kitchen table painter,’ that is, when her children were young, she would take her paints out at night after the children were asleep, and she would paint at the kitchen table for a few hours.  Once her youngest child entered first grade, Susan decided to pursue her art with the long-term goal of making it her full-time career, which has now come to fruition.  She may be painting on furniture, doing a commissioned piece of fine art, or working on a mural; whatever it is, she paints every day.

Her true love though, is watercolors.  “This medium has a life of its own; it interacts with you and is very much responsive unlike oils or acrylics which have to be pushed across the support. I also love the transparency and clarity of the medium; it is like no other.  My goal when painting with watercolors is to grab the viewer’s attention with color, for its impact and clarity, and to engage the viewer for as long as possible.”

Susan especially enjoys painting flowers because of their “natural design and clarity of color.”  Susan also enjoys teaching, especially beginners.  “They usually have no preconceived ideas of how the medium should be used and so, are open to new ways of painting because they don’t feel threatened by the medium.  I teach for two reasons:  for the simple joy of sharing what I know, and secondly, because it is so gratifying for me to see others get as much enjoyment out of painting as I do.  When I see some of my former students entering competitions or shows, I have great satisfaction in knowing that I have helped them get to that point in some small way.”  For this reason, Susan is looking forward to her move to 21 Cooper Street in Glens Falls where she will have plenty of space for classes and workshops for both adults and children.  Her classes are very much hands on – literally. “There are times that, in order for a student to get the feel of a brush or a technique, I have to pick up their hand with the brush in it and execute the technique so that they can get the ‘feel’ of the movement.”  My first objective though is to get each student to completely lose themselves in the simple pleasure of “playing with paints again.”  The second goal is to complete a painting that is totally theirs that they have created from just a sheet of paper and feel proud of.  Susan feels that this philosophy stems from her nursing background.  “I worked in the post-intensive care unit of a cardiac hospital and saw how important it is for people to take time out for themselves.  Too often people wait until they have ‘more time’ but that never comes; one has to make the time for fun, relaxation and self-fulfillment.”

This philosophy also applies to her drawing classes. “I always recommend this class for students who want a more solid foundation for their paintings.”  Even so, Susan tries to keep these classes fun, too, by using right side of the brain techniques; students enjoy seeing things from a different perspective, she says.  Usually, one class is devoted to a self-portrait which students find both enlightening and fun.  She also strongly recommends that students keep a daily art journal while taking the classes.  At the end of every class, Susan conducts a critique session.  “Every single person has something positive to offer the rest of the class.  We all benefit from one another.”

Susan also teaches various classes and workshops to children.  Susan started the Great Masters Series at the Children’s Museum in Saratoga Springs when it first opened.  She has been Artist in Residence in several schools and has taught in the Saturday Scholars Program.  For now, Susan will teach adult classes in drawing and watercolors beginning Monday, January 26th.  Once the studio is in full swing, she will add workshops and classes for children. The new studio will also provide enough room to tackle her larger commissioned works.  “This fall, I had a number of larger commissioned works, and it has become increasingly difficult to work in my home studio; the space was becoming too small; so much so that I was shy about taking on any murals on canvas.  When I also considered that all my furniture pieces are stored in my home, I realized that I needed more space.”

Actually, the move to Glens Falls will be a coming home of sorts.  Susan was one of twelve other artists who opened a cooperative, Gallery on the Green, several years ago before LARAC bought the old Honingsbaum building on Lapham Place in Glens Falls.  Susan is also a long time member of the Upper Hudson Valley Watercolor Society in Glens Falls where she has the support of many like-minded friends.  Several of these friends are also renting space in the old Shirt Factory. “I am looking forward to the networking and support of other artists on a regular basis.  Even though Susan lives in Saratoga Springs, she feels that the Glens Falls community is very supportive of the local artists.  “I have received nothing but positive feedback from LARAC and the other artists both at the Shirt Factory and the UHVWS.  Their enthusiasm has in turn increased my excitement.”

Susan has studied with several nationally known artists and continues to do so on a regular basis.  Susan has been juried into many national shows and has won several awards for her work in watercolors.  She has been accepted into the prestigious Philadelphia Furniture Show as well as the Rhode Island Furniture Show for her paintings on furniture.  Recently, Susan has been featured in "Paint Décor" magazine for her furniture as well as her murals. She has shown her works in the Vanguard Showcase in Albany as well as the Saratoga Showcase of Homes for several years. She does decorative work as well as murals in homes throughout the region. This summer, she will attend a weeklong workshop in Texas for muralists.