Art by Sue Reeves

2012-02-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

Beautiful but Boring, concept image.

Concept image derived from a short film of mine called Beautiful but Boring. The teenage figure is opaque, centered and unmoved by the undulating horizon in front of him. I am toying with the canvas size and shape.

2012-02-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Sink or Swim, ground layer, incomplete

I have visited the canvas 5 times, each time dripping a colour layer then finishing with heavy gel gloss. The next step is to provide a structure to the ground stenciling sections of a grid as the next layer ( or two or three). The figure will break free of the grid, a metaphor for Jack leaving home.

2012-02-16T05:51:00.000-08:00

Sink or Swim, Triptych, 36" x 130" concept image

Sink or Swim features a figure struggling through the water. The story driving the painting is my son has moved away from home for the first time this year..it has been a trial by fire...in this case by water

2012-02-16T05:19:00.000-08:00

"No Matter What", second figure layer, complete

Dave is moving from top left down to center, Ev is rotating

2012-02-16T04:57:00.000-08:00

"No Matter What", First figure Layer, complete

Strong first layer, second layer needs to be sheer, use it to break down these figures

2011-11-30T14:03:00.000-08:00

"No Matter What"4X4, Diptych, Acrylic on Canvas

first layer, 30.11.11 comments, figures too blue going to glaze with orange hue

2011-11-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

"No Matter What" 4x4 Diptych, Acrylic on Canvas

ground completed 20.11.11

2011-11-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

Pushed, 48" x 60" Acrylic on Canvas finished

2011-11-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Pushed, 48"x60" acrylic on canvas ( unfinished)

I am reworking "Pushed". I feel I need to re proportion the figure and pop the figure out from the ground. He may recede later

2011-11-02T09:32:00.000-07:00

The Trailing Spouse Series, 3 x 48"x72", acrylic on Canvas

Warren lake NS in Summer, Fall and Winter. A deep breath is taken to commit the place to memory. In every relationship one has to compromise, Fall is a time of transition. What remains are memories and evergreen trees.

2011-11-02T08:40:00.000-07:00

What Remains, 48" x 72", acrylic on canvas

In the end I decided to pull the figure forward and recede the mountains, but only slightly. In the series the figures and the landscape are to fight for position.

2011-11-02T08:20:00.001-07:00

"No Matter What", 4' x 4' diptych, photo image on paper

Building on the smaller portrait I am now exploring a much larger diptych which will include layers of images. The ground layer of images include poses , indecision , that lead to the final pose that I used in the original portrait. I've done this using masking in the digital world. The final mask layer is just the faces as I feel that the connection between the two figures is shown by how they are looking at one another. To place them in a diptych shows how even to pull them apart in two canvas will not break that bond.

2011-08-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Dave and Ev, 20x20, acrylic on canvas

Life's trials and joys flow past and through the figures but they are anchored against this current by a look or perhaps it is a shared joke.

2011-08-01T05:40:00.000-07:00

Dave and Ev, 20 x 20, acrylic on Canvas, work in progress , 31.07.11

The 31st was Dave's birthday so I focused a bit on him. It's now time to bring Ev up to speed. She has wonderful thick dark hair with highlights. Her hair will be a contrast to Dave's which hair which is white and fine. This will be the ying and yang of the piece.

2011-07-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Dave and Ev, 20 x 20, acrylic on canvas,28.07.11

The next step is the fabric, then I'll revisit the faces

2011-07-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

Dave and Ev, 20x20, acrylic on canvas, first skin layer 20.07.2011

Making a noted to bring back some of the ground through the skin tone. Try saved red tone

2011-07-20T12:27:00.000-07:00

Dave and Ev, 20x20, acrylic on canvas, ground

2011-07-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

Angela Sleeping, 48x72, acrylic on canvas, 06.20.2011, finished.

This portrait was based on an IPhone picture taken to capture a moment close to the photographer's heart. The strength behind the portrait is the viewer is allowed into this very important piece of some one's world. Sometimes our dreams can clash hence the reason for the somewhat violent ground offset by rosie sleep.

2011-07-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

Angela Sleeping, 48X72, acrylic on canvas, 06.09.2011, end of the day

I've brought back some of the ground under the subjects heads. I found there was too much contrast between the fabric and the pillows cutting the canvas in half. Here I evened out the contrast in order to centralize the figures.

2011-07-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Angela Sleeping ,48x72, acrylic on canvas, 06.02.2011

end of the day

2011-07-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

Angela Sleeping , 48 x72, acrylic on canvas unfinished 06.01.2011

First Layers after the projection.

2011-07-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is the concept for Angela sleeping. I developed the ground palette and photographed it then layer the photograph of the subject as a guide for the finished painting

2011-06-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

The Trip Home, 12"x 36", Photo imaging on transparent sheets on canvas

The trip starts with a simple portrait image, the portrait remains the constant as we move through the map planning stage of the trip, the people and places visited and the sense of place, home, remains.

2011-06-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Lasting Memories, 18"x18", Acrylic on canvas with image editing on transparent sheets

Lasting Memories is a foray into combining Photoshop imaging with acrylic portraiture.

2011-06-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

What Remains, Unfinished, 48"x 72" Acrylic on Canvas

What Remains is the third painting of The Trailing Spouse Series. I plan on harding the ice front left to right, further define the trees in the foreground of the landscape and bring more of the graphic sky blue back through the hair of the figure. This will bring the landscape forward and push the figure back but maintain the graphic finality of the piece.

2011-06-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

A Deep Breath, 48"x72", Acrylic on Canvas

A Deep Breath is the first painting of The Trailing Spouse Series. The figure is breathing in the landscape before her. Committing it to memory.

2011-06-22T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Compromise, 48"x72", Acrylic on Canvas

The Compromise is part two of The Trailing Spouse Series. In this painting the landscape bleeds away as the figures prepare to leave. The palette sets the stage for the turmoil surrounding the decision to leave.

2011-02-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

A Deep Breath #2, 02.17.2011 unfinished

First layers of the figures are complete. Now I'm going to develop the interlocking shoulders to mirror the mountain overlap, add some orange..ish glaze to the foreground figure and finish the hair. Once that is complete I'll reassess the shadows and opacity of the middle ground figure.

2011-01-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

A Deep Breath #2, photograph of acrylic on canvas landscape and Photoshop layered images.

( conceptual)

I now use Photoshop imagery to explore composition and levels of transparency. A Deep Breath #2 is about the choices we must make.

2011-01-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

A Deep Breath #2, 7ft x 4 ft, acrylic on canvas.

( unfinished )

The second in a series of three paintings. Based on a photograph taken of Warren Lake in the Fall. The dying leaves and the landscape are bleeding off of the canvas. This painting is the ground for the second piece.

2011-01-19T13:31:00.000-08:00

A Deep Breath, 7ft x 4ft, acrylic on canvas

( unfinished)

I take a deep breath every time I visit Warren Lake in the Summer and I take another breath when I leave so it will somehow stay with me when I'm away. This piece is the first of a triptych. The central theme deals with emotions surrounding ex-pat life and how that lifestyle affects relationships. The figures in these paintings are transparent while the ground, the place is predominate.

2011-01-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

Snow Leopard, 4' x4', acrylic on canvas.

To create this piece I used the earlier "Yellow Rose" piece as an under painting. I then threw pinks and burnt umber at the canvas to create energy and movement.

Snow leopard was photographed by a fellow artist Brenda Furman. Check out her fabulous work by going to brendafurmanart.com

2010-07-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Peter 30" x 30" Acrylic on canvas. I chose a graphic image of Peter because I feel it removes us from the reality of the figure and I feel removed from Peter. He is not painted but represented. The ground is dark, mysterious because Peter is somewhat mysterious. He is mysterious but he has splashes of brilliance.

2010-07-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Chillies ( revisited) 4' x 4' acrylic on Canvas. I reworked this painting by removing the white chalk lines which I found distracting and reducing the intensity of the colour in order to add white highlights.

2010-05-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Pushed, 48" x 72" Acrylic on Canvas

The idea behind "Pushed" is the desperation of homelessness. The subject is pushed into the corner. The ground of the painting is moving left to right but the figure resists and looks at us just as he's destined to reach the corner. He's not allowed to escape off the canvas or out of his situation.

2010-03-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

Missing You, 5'x6', finished!

2010-03-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

Yell0w Rose , 48 x 48 ( unfinished 03.09.10)

2010-03-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

Missing You, 60x48 (unfinished 03.05.10)

Currently Working On....

2010-02-08T12:44:00.000-08:00

Missing You, 60x48, ( unfinished 02.06.10)
Missing You, 60x48 ( unfinished 02.04.10)
Mother, Daughter, Granddaughter ,20X20, acrylic on canvas. This painting is a sketch painting for "Missing You". But it depicts my mother, my sister and my niece at age 12.

Missing you intends to express the relationship between my mother and my son during the later stages of my mother's battle with alzheimer's disease. My son's image will be layered over my mother's.

Currently Working On.....

2010-02-08T12:36:00.000-08:00

Yellow Rose, 48x48 ( unfinished 02.04.10)
Yellow Rose 1, 20x20 acrylic on canvas

Yellow Rose uses a subject that I love and a palette that I...well...wouldn't have been my first choice. watch this blog???

Currently working on......

2010-02-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

Unfinished Business, 18x24, acrylic on canvas.
A Long Dance, 20x20

I'm developing a series of portraits using strong grounds that appear behind the figure on another plane.

Most Recent Still Lifes

2010-02-08T12:21:00.000-08:00

Green Onions, 48x48, acrylic, fabric softener sheets, mat medium on canvas. One of the maddening things about living in a gated community is you can not hang out your washing. This painting uses 52 dryer sheets to highlight the onions heads. The carbon footprint of this painting is scary so the onions are eel like and menacing.

Most Recent Still Lifes

2010-02-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Chilies, 48X48, acrylic on canvas. Here I'm moving more towards exploring the relationship between positive and negative space.

Most Recent Figurative Works

2010-02-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

Whatever, 36x48 diptych, acrylic on canvas. There are layers of subtle colour within the ground but this painting is more about how both subjects relate to each other on two different planes. It also explores you as the viewer on yet another plane.

Most Recent Figurative Works

2010-02-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

Homeless, 18x24, acrylic on canvas. In Homeless the subject is pushed into the corner. A story of a desperate situation. This painting has lead me to explore complicated grounds and strong hues under portraits.

Most Recent Figurative Works

2010-02-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

Middle Age , 48x48, acrylic on canvas

Middle Age 1 , 30x40, acrylic on canvas

I do like to create what I call sketch paintings that can lead into larger abstractions of the subject often with more layering.

Most Recent Figurative works

2010-02-08T11:17:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait, 4'x4', acrylic on canvas, I've started to develop layers of ground colours using splattered paint, paint rubbed with a cloth or sponges an order to set the story. This is a self portrait...age is catching up with me.

The Feline Years

2010-02-07T15:06:00.001-08:00

What can I say..I like cats. Tempatation , 62 x 62, acrylic on canvas, and Josh, 24x36, acylic on canvas where both an exploration of contrast use very few values.

Old favourites

2010-02-07T14:40:00.001-08:00

Sunflowers, 30x52 acrylic on canvas, were grown in my garden, they were then photographed and painted as a gift for my husband. The flower ages as it moves from left to right. I always painted directly on a white ground to maximize on the contrast between the subject matter and negative space.

Strawberries, 35x55 acrylic on canvas was my first move away from my usual white ground. I filled the picture plane and looked towards the negative space for depth.