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Artist Statement | Gallery | Resume

Artist Statement

Growing up I was always very creative. I made things with my hands most of the time. I even made a stop-motion animation. I made little sculptures with clay, tiny plants with strips of paper, tiny books for my Barbie dolls, and even carpeted and wallpapered my Barbie dollhouse, etc. In December of 1991, I received a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Texas at Austin. In 2000, I was introduced to Debbie Boyd and Imagine Art. With Imagine Art, I started showing and selling my art works. I got a Certificate in Multi-Media from Austin Community College in May of 2002. January 22, 2004, I applied for and got a D.B.A. with the name 'Suzanimation!' and opened my own art studio. My techniques and media usually arise out of some kind of inspiration. I like to paint with water-soluble oils on canvas, mostly. Sometimes, I manipulate a digital photo of my artwork in Photoshop on my computer. I like to work in the styles of Realism and Expressionism.

Art plays a role in living with my disability by giving me something positive, good, and beautiful to experience and create. This is important because my Paranoid Schizophrenia and Depression can make things seem ugly or unpleasant.

A significant experience during my education, where arts played an important part was when I was taking oil painting from my professor, Vincent Mariani, at U.T. He really inspired me to do my best work.

In 1990 to 1991, while at U.T., I feel the arts were most effective in my education because I had some very capable professors and I 'blossomed' artistically during that time.

There has been a transformation of my art within the span of five years. I feel that I have become a lot more confident and I have once again 'blossomed' in my art. My paintings are vibrant, bold, and have a lot of emotion, now. I have gone from being timid and clumsy, to being bold and confident.
Art has transformed me by giving me something to be excited about again. When I was sick and non-compliant with my medicine, I had a hard time creating and doing art. Now, that I know I have brain disorders and I take my mediations religiously, I have my life back and my art shows and facilitates that.

     
This project is funded in part by the City of Austin through the Cultural Arts Division, by grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and by Big Star BINGO