Susan Hale

I have always loved to draw and paint. Living in the Wisconsin countryside is a constant inspiration to me. It seems everywhere I look I see a painting – sunrises on Lake Michigan, golden hay bales scattered in a farm field, popcorn clouds dancing in a cerulean blue sky. Color and pattern are an important aspect of my work. I try to create on the canvas the energy and connection to nature I feel as I paint. Working in oil, I apply the paint thick and luscious, like frosting on a cake. “Let the paint talk,” I often say.

The German Expressionists, French Impressionists, and the Magical Realism of Mexico have influenced me, as has traveling the world. My most recent trip was India – the vibrating sounds & colors were an awakening. I keep “Sketchbook Diaries” of places I have been, but there is truly “no place like home” as I live in rural Cedarburg, Wisconsin surrounded by farm fields (and mooing cows).

Color is magic to me. My paintings include the vibrant use of color along with a sense of optimism. I love to paint outdoors, “plein-air.” It is invigorating to experience painting not only through my eyes but also through the feel of the breeze, the smell of the damp earth, and the chirping of the crickets. As van Gogh said, “…real artists paint things not as they are, in a dry analytical way, but as they feel them.”  I paint as I feel.

People ask me: “Do you really see all those colors in the landscape?”  Yes, is my reply.  I just squint and use my imagination…isn’t that what being an artist is all about?