Artist Statement
There was something mesmerizing about the Water in Lake Malawi and sitting in our little rocky boat, I got sucked into it. I wanted to capture the Water, and to keep at the top of my pile of memories. I had my iPhone and I knew this wouldn’t be enough. That’s when I knew I wanted to paint again.
The Water has endless depth, but is also transparent and doesn’t have any color of its own. The Water reflects all the colors around it–the expansive sky, the land in the distance, and my own reflection looking down. I think I see some fish gliding by. But mostly there’s just the shadows of Lake Malawi below–one of the deepest lakes in the world.
It took me over a year to start the paintings, but it ended my six-year hiatus from art. In the past, I painted realistically and with a clear subject matter, but now I find I’m moving into abstraction too. As a User Experience/ UX designer by day, I spend my time fussing over tiny details, considering what’s “right” for the user. Now, returning to painting, I push myself to work on 2–3 paintings at once–one real and planned out, and one empty and unplanned. Together they create a series.
A Series: The Water
What’s next?
I’ll be starting a new series titled “The Glow” this summer.
I’m trying out Patreon for the first time to help cover the costs– materials (paints, canvases, frames), time, and classes/space. If you are so inclined, you can support me here: https://www.patreon.com/suelynyu?ty=h&alert=1
Links
Personal Portfolio
http://www.suelynyu.com/artwork/
My artwork for sale
http://www.suelynyu.com/artwork-for-sale/
My teacher: Mel Prest
http://www.melprest.com/
Painting Classes
California College of the Arts has continuing education courses. Classes may not yet listed but you can sign up here. I took “The Series” painting class, which is a open studio class with just the right amount of critique, inspirational lectures, and camaraderie.
Here are some additional classes Mel will be teaching. Comment below if you are interested in joining me for any of them.
- The Series July 12- August 11, 10 sessions, Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:30–9:30pm. California college of Art’s continuing education courses
- Mediums & Markmaking June 13- July 18 (no class meeting July 4), 5 sessions, Mondays 6:30–9:30pm, City college of SF: summer continuing education courses
- The Nexus: Painting within a Theme July 9–23, 3 sessions, Saturdays 10–4pm, City college of SF: summer continuing education courses
- Understanding and Exploring Color June 11- July 2, 4 sessions, Saturdays 10–4pm, SF art institute: summer continuing education courses
Photographer: Dana Davis
If you are looking to get your art photographed, I highly recommend working with Dana Davis in Oakland.
http://www.danadavisphoto.com
