Marx Susan

Artist’s Statement

Abstract Impressionist – A Painter Who Loves Color

My paintings are conversations between my eyes, my head, my heart, my gut, and the canvas in front of me. This is true whether I am painting abstract work from the inside of my head or out of doors.  I paint as result of my radical amazement at the beauty of visual world and my need to turn that experience into paint. Nature is my frame of reference. I paint what nature leaves with me.  I am concerned with light and what light does to color, which is why I call myself an Abstract Impressionist.   I like to entice and engage my viewers, drawing them into a fresh and beautiful world.  I hope my artwork will lead to people noticing the beauty in nature; a healing beauty.

My work is intuitive. I let the process guide me and inform me what the work is about.  It is an emotional conversation of paint-filled brushstrokes and the painting that is being composed on the canvas. I load up my palette, pick up a brush, holding it as a conductor would hold his baton and begin.  I don’t speak to the canvas, instead the canvas speaks to me.   It is a constant back and forth conversation of paint and canvas, painted quickly using emotional sensations rather than an intellectually thought out process. I paint but lose the concept of time.   I am painting from a deeper place, within. Fast, faster, passionately painting, furiously painting.  I cannot get the colors down fast enough, often painting wet on wet.  I am painting from a deeper place. Then suddenly I need air.   I stop and step back to look at my canvas one last time.  The painting is done.

I paint in acrylics which allows me to record my color impressions quickly. I paint with thick bold, rich color and gestural brushstrokes.  Leaving blank canvas is intentional.  I feel it makes the color more vibrant and blank canvas create a tension between positive and negative space. It lets the painting breathe.  Often the act of painting forms a blank shape on the canvas within the picture plane: something I find visually exciting. I enjoy the process of putting color next to color and that process is the subject matter of the painting.  I title my paintings after I am finished painting. I feel they are lyrical.

I try to capture the essence in my painting, the color and the emotion, and leave the rest to the viewer’s imagination, to bring him into the painting.

Someone once said I work to the muse of Monet, Van Gogh, and Joan Mitchell; I was thrilled. They guided me in the journey to become the artist I am today.

EDUCATION

Boston University, College of Fine Arts, BFA in Painting (Studied with Walter Murch, David Aronson, Karl Fortess, Robert Qwathmey

Painting seminars in Giverny, France – in Monet’s garden and in Normandy

Painting seminar in Arles and St. Remy de Provence, France tracing steps of Van Gogh

COLLECTIONS

Private Collections in the US and abroad.

Exhibitions

Solo Show:

Johnson and Johnson Headquarters, NJ (Fall 2016)

Two Person Shows:

Gaelen Gallery East, West Orange, NJ

Ashok Jain Gallery, New York, NY

Gallery Exhibitions (Group) – New York City

Agora Gallery,

Ashok Jain Gallery

A. Jain Marunouchi Gallery

Amsterdam Whitney Gallery

The Fox Gallery

Keane-Mason Gallery

Emerging Collector

Gallery Exhibitions (Group) — International

Artist’s House, Jerusalem, Israel

Museum of Printing Art, Safed, Israel

Musee des Duncan, Paris, France

Gallery Exhibitions (Group) – New Jersey

ACL Gallery, Livingston

Discover Jersey Arts Artist of the Month (2/15)

George Segal Gallery, Montclair State University

Berkshire Hathaway Home Services NJ Properties – The MAM 10, Montclair

Montclair Art Museum, Employee Art Exhibition

Pierro Gallery, South Orange

The Right Angle, Hoboken

The Tenth Muse Gallery, Maplewood

Robin Hutchins Gallery, Maplewood

Hait Gallery, Maplewood

Nitsa Fine Arts, Millburn

Marino Gallery, Millburn

Art Gallery of South Orange

Korby Gallery, Cedar Grove

Clifton Art Center, Clifton

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