Tag: Discovering Art

The discovery of art whether based on age, or new medium or new inspiration.

Guest Blog: Susan Manchester

Let’s Meet the Artist!

I’ve known Susan for approximately fifteen years. I used to walk my giant dog, Ty, in Bloor West Village in Toronto. Susan, her late husband Mike, and I would chat whenever I caught them hanging out on their front porch – which was generally any evening that the weather was nice. Susan often painted on the porch and I was fascinated by the free form and colour of her pieces. When Mike passed away early in 2011, Susan found solace in painting. I should also mention she is an incredible poet. The tomes I have of her work are some of my most prized possessions. In my quest to highlight female artists, Susan is a “VIP” guest blogger – creative, engaging, and exuding both genius and warmth. I am a huge fan.

Susan and her studio assistant, Cookie.

Susan, what is your earliest memory?

My earliest memory of doing something artistic may be making potholders on a metal “loom” using nylon loops. Does that count? It is significant to me because I loved the colors then and I still love colors.

What mediums do you use, and do you have a favourite?

I use acrylic paints, tissue paper, Japanese paper, ribbons, lace, fabrics. My favorite is Japanese paper with acrylics.

Mixed media work by Susan Manchester

Tell me about your studio, and how much time you spend in it.

My studio is upstairs in a room that used to be a bedroom. It faces east with a big window so the morning light is wonderful and throughout the day the light is good. I have oodles of Japanese paper: some rolled up and stored in clear plastic compartments that hang on the door; some hanging over dowels on the wall; some in piles on shelves. 

My paints are stored in labeled clear plastic containers on book shelves. I have a large table where I use a table easel for smaller work.  I have a desk where I use the paper cutter and store some materials for making painted greeting cards. A large easel sits in the center of the room for larger work.

I spend an average of 2 to 3 hours a day in my studio in the cold weather. When the weather is warmer I paint outside on the front porch or the back deck.

Mixed media work by Susan Manchester

What are some items in your studio that you can’t live without?

In the studio, I can’t live without my little kettle for tea or instant coffee. Haha! And my four Thomas Cole prints that are on the wall above my large table.

We’ve often heard the idea that you have to be a “suffering artist” to make great art. Do you think this is true? Can we make art from a place of great joy and ease?

Yes you can make art from joy and ease! I have done it both ways—after my husband died I was suffering terribly and used my art to paint the grief. And now, 13 years later, I can say I am mostly happy and the art is flowing. That does not mean that I don’t tap into the grief—I do, often. But the energy that comes with the joy of creating allows the art to live vibrantly and meaningfully.

What are the things that challenge you, as an artist?

My main challenge as an artist is to be able to paint more intuitively, especially as I am leaning more towards the abstract. Another challenge is to try to resist the solitary life that can develop when the desire to remain in the sudio is so strong.

Who are the artists that YOU follow? 

I am loving Louise Fletcher and Dorothy Ganek as abstract artists. My first influences were Dali, Van Gogh’s “The Potato Eaters,” and my all time favorite landscape artist Thomas Cole.

What is the best advice you have ever received as an artist?

Best advice: “A tree can be any color.” That came from my teacher Modesto Ingratta, who is still my teacher. That little statement says it all. It is all about freedom, truth, and courage for an artist. There is no end to the learning. Rejoice in that!

Do you have any “Stretch Goals” or ways that you want to express yourself that you haven’t tried yet?

I am always stretching. I may try pastels. Never done that and I have a lovely set.

Where can we find your work?

My work is available on my website: susanmanchester.myfreesites.net
You can see a bit of my process here.

Or follow me on Instagram: susan_manchester and DM me for details.

The Art of Small Things, and Being Small!

I was an artist from the time I was small. I know that I drew from the time I could toddle, but my first clear memory of my own art is when I drew paper dolls. They weren’t regular paper dolls. The dolls were Inuit people. Without knowing anything about the culture, I drew a family and cut them out, over and over again. The same family, every time. The paper dolls had long, braided hair and they all had kind expressions. They wore heavy coats with the fur side facing in – except for around their faces. Their boots were thick, sealskin kamiits - the kind made by hand. I remember there was a grandmother, a father, a mother, a girl older than I was, and a baby. The mother carried the baby in her hood, and the father had a spear. They all had designs on their clothing.

By the way, traditional Inuit clothing is highly specialized and also beautiful. You can find out more about it by clicking here.

Every time I finished drawing the family, I would cut them out of the rectangular paper they were bound to and present them to my paternal grandmother – who would graciously tape them to her kitchen wall. I have the faintest of memories of she and my mother conversing about how strange it all was – why I kept drawing the same people over and over again, and why my grandmother was the only person deserving of having them. But my grandmother accepted every one of them without complaint and found a home for them in her kitchen. I was only 5 or 6 years old when I was drawing the paper people, and if you asked me to draw one today I could. I don’t know what happened to the paper Inuit family, but I imagine that at some point they faded from the paper they were drawn on and thrown out.

Was I remembering a past life? Was I influenced by something I saw on the CBC or in a book? I don’t know. But perhaps I stuck with art because my first memories of creating were associated with love, comfort and familiarity.

Art – whether it be drawing, painting, textiles or photography – has always been a way for me to express myself. I have learned (finally, in my fifties) that I don’t do well at all if I don’t practice creating at least once a week. If my creative expression is put on the backburner, I slide into an abyss – emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Balance is restored almost immediately as soon as I step into the unknown – the blank page, the scrap fabric, the dollop of paint, or the nature walk to photograph the light touching the tree branches in a way that it always does, or will never do again. That’s the beauty of it.

I have used the name “The Art of Small Things” for quite some time now – for many reason. I am a “small” artist – I am neither prolific nor famous. I like looking at small things. “Small Things” also - at least for me – means “Simple Things” – and I like my art to reflect those small things we see or experience every day that remind us that life is beautiful.

Come with me as I explore creativity and process, and post works in progress. You are welcome in this small space!