~ by Lesley Hammocks, Cedar Creek Writers
Susan Kelly graduated in
1976 with a Diploma from
the Ontario College of Art
with Honours. From there
began a 10 year corporate
commission tapestry design/
weaving career, along with
teaching at the community
level. Due to the physical
demand of weaving large
tapestries, Susan moved on to the study of oil
painting while completing her education.
She earned a B.A. from the University of Guelph
and then in 1993, a B.F.A. with Distinction from
the University of Calgary. Having completed
her education goals she moved to Duncan
and continued to paint and occasionally teach
watercolour and drawing, privately and to groups,
as well as Artists in the School drawing program
through the Art Gallery of Nanaimo.
Susan's philosophy is that an original oil or
watercolour painting has its own reality. It
must stand on its own merits, even though
photographic references or mechanical devices were used to arrive at the subject matter. "Research has
proven that the Old Masters used a variety of these tools over the centuries," she explains, in her quiet manner.
The use of her camera, as a tool, to catch fleeting moments which she could never achieve by sketching is a valuable technique. "It allows me time for choice - to challenge myself in oils or watercolour and to convey realism of qualities of light, atmosphere, complex textures and the evocative spirit of a place in any chosen amount of detail," she modestly explains. Later her drawing skills will move those values onto canvas or paper. Transferring the luminosity she captured on film into her oil painting is achieved by using layers of glazing with a wide range of brush sizes - even those worn down to nubs - for scrubbing or softening areas or sharp lines.
Susan has won a number of awards and tributes since moving to the Cowichan Valley. Her knowledge of the
Old Masters to the Contemporaries she admires are a constant reminder of her present struggles and the joys
from growing and reaching beyond.
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