SusanGleason.Art

Susan Gleason's artistic journey has been shaped by her many and varied life experiences. Born in New York and raised in Arlington, Virginia, Susan attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, where she studied fashion design and was introduced to many facets of art. Following school, she worked as an illustrator, coordinator and designer until she and her husband moved to Berlin, Germany in the early 1970’s. The Berlin Wall was an ever-present part of their daily lives, and her experiences there made a profound impact on her, reflecting deeply in her early artwork. Berlin Wall was one of her oil paintings commissioned during this time, a large abstract done in deep purples, browns and black, drawn from the dark nature of the period.

Upon returning to the U.S., she and her husband settled in California, spending over 40 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. There her work life took a turn as she evolved into a career in commercial aircraft leasing and finance. This work enabled her to travel worldwide for many years, expanding both her view of the world and influences that would later find ways into her art. During this time, she and her husband travelled twice to Africa on safari and her love of Africa is now often seen in much of her artwork.

Upon retirement, Susan and her husband relocated to Arizona, and Susan has had time to return to painting. Experimenting in numerous mediums and taking many art lessons in her community and at the Scottsdale Artists School, she has settled primarily into working with watercolor and oils. Her early paintings focused on realism as she believes an artist should have the capacity to capture realism before delving into more abstract form. She painted  zebras and leopards from her African photos, along with still life and flowers, learning to mix intense blacks for their backgrounds.

She presently experiments in somewhat less structured work in search of her own unique style. Her appreciation for the Arizona desert has provided new inspiration in her art as she searches for fresh representations of strong value in her work. Game of Thorns is one such work, a paddle cactus depicting the struggle of trying to create a garden in the dessert without encountering thorns. Summer vacations to Santa Fe have also played an important role in recent diverse paintings based on Navajo inspired art, along with spectacular sunsets captured during these extended summer stays.

She has received recognition as a lifetime member of her community art club, along with  numerous awards in drawing, watercolor and oil painting. She has participated in the Goodyear Community Fine Art Show, the Scottsdale Art School Beaux Arts Festival and has donated proceeds from her art sales to the UNICEF K.I.N.D. program, funding secondary school education for young women in Africa. She has enjoyed membership in the National Watercolor Society and the Colored Pencil Society of America. Outside of art, Susan has authored two cookbooks based upon her love of cooking and has an extensive background in computer programming, interests that complement the detailed nature of her artwork.