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Susanne Clark
Interview with the artist
When did you first start?
People often ask when I first started to paint. I remember my Father drawing with us at the kitchen table when I was a child. He could draw really well, almost effortlessly, and it was in the days before we had television so there was time for things like that. At school I loved to work on projects that needed to be illustrated with art work and I wanted to go to art school but somehow that never came to be for a variety of reasons. Every few years I would paint something or do a bit of sculpture but there were always other things that took my time. Now however it is the most compelling interest in my life.
Who or what has been the most influential factor in your development?
Being inspired by these wonderful teachers has been the main factor in my development.
Regina Kurak who I did an art therapy course with in Toronto in the early part of the 1990's. Based on the Rudoph Steiner, Waldorf philosophy her course got me painting frequently for the first time in my life and the whole approach to art literally changed my life. She was an inspiring teacher.
Lou Tice of the Pacific Institute in Seattle developed a course called Investment in Excellence It is about learning to think effectively, set goals and maintain a positive approach, even in adversity, through the use of self talk.
M. Douglas Walton. He is the most inspiring teacher of painting and creativity I have ever met. His life story and his ability to get wonderful work out of everyone is amazing.
Doug Wales our art group tutor. A most generous and inspiring teacher with an amazing knowledge of art and artists. He has brought my work to a new level since I came to the UK.
Are there other artists in your family?
It depends on how you define an artist. My oldest son has always been into fantasy war gaming not just for the gaming but also for the creativity. He loves strategy games but he also loves creating and painting the figures they use to play the game. He will buy the regular figures but then he cuts them up and reassembles them in different ways and next adds everything from muscles, hair, extra arms, hats and even nipple rings. He then paints them in a very painterly way and he has won lots of awards for his painting work at the gaming tournaments he attends.
My second son is an artist of a different kind. He is the singer songwriter in a rock band. He originally attended university doing voice and music and was learning to sing opera but decided that he would rather be a rock singer! The band 'Pilate' has been very successful and is now just about to release their second CD the first being close to attaining gold status in Canada.
Have any of your artworks ended up in unusual or famous places?
In November of 1999 our house burnt down. We were living in Ottawa Canada at the time and during the night an arsonist set fire to two new town homes that were being built behind us. It was an extremely windy night and the fire spread rapidly destroying twelve homes despite the fire department having lots of engines there within 8 minutes. Fortunately no one was injured. I was in Mexico at the time and my husband was also away and when he called to tell me the news I thought he was joking. However we lost nearly everything including all my paintings. When people ask me about my past work I tell them about the fire and mention that a large number of my paintings are up in God's gallery and that he has the biggest collection! He liked them so much he took them all in one go.
Have you ever inspired somebody to become an artist?
When I was living in Ottawa I developed and taught a series of classes using art for personal development. It was wonderful work and I loved doing it. Many of the people who came had never done any art but they wanted to start and they wanted to learn how to use art to express themselves however they lacked the confidence to attend a regular art class believing that they lacked talent. Because my courses were focused on colour and self expression and not on learning to draw acurately they felt free to experiment and just enjoy the process. This gave them the confidence to enjoy painting and art making and then they decided they liked it so much that many were inspired to go on and develop an independent art practice and they are now flourishing artists.
Describe your routine on a day when you are working on your art?
I have several different routines. On Monday and Tuesday I travel nearly an hour over to Harrogate from York with several friends to paint with an art group I belong to. It is a very committed group of artists and we are all trying to experiment and grow our art. I leave home at 8am and return around 6pm both days. Wednesday seems to consist of getting the house back in order and doing all the normal chores. Thursday and Friday I try and work on any piece that I have underway from the Harrogate group and also get on with my own independant work. When I am really into a painting I never want to stop and I get frustrated stopping to make meals etc and I often find I am up very late working.
How long does it usually take you to complete an artwork?
I usually work very fast but it still takes me quite a long time to complete a piece especially as my paintings are rather large. I will spend time thinking about it before I actually start and then it can take me the best part of a week of constant work. Sometimes I will think it is finished but then a few days later I will go back into it and even change a large part of it if I feel that something is not right. I often have to look at a painting a lot to see if it is finished so I put it in a place in my house where I will pass it many times in a day and then I will start to see the things that need to be improved. Sometimes it may sit around for a month or two before I can see what needs to be done. Eventually though it is finished and somehow I just know it is.
Have you ever had an art-related disaster?
Yes all my paintings and art materials being burned when our house burnt down. My husbands comment was "Oh well there are plenty more where those ones came from. Just get busy and paint some more". He was right. Losing them made room for new ones and the bare walls in the new house got me motivated.
What is the most expensive art related purchase you have made?
The most expensive purchase I have made is a printing press. Ever since I started printmaking I really wanted to buy one but but they are very expensive so it took me some time to take the plunge and acquire one.
What media would you like to try out?
I have always had a great desire to do something really big in sculpture and then have it cast in concrete and set it in the garden. I remember reading years ago about a workshop in the States where they delivered each person a six foot length of clay piping, the stuff they use for big street pipes. The clay was still soft so that it could be worked. The idea was to hammer the clay into whatever shape you desired, add bits on, take bits away, and so form a big sculpture out of it. After this they had it taken away and fired and then they delivered to you to use however you wanted. I thought this sounded awesome.
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