Before becoming a full time fine artist, Adams spent many years as an animator and background illustrator for several nationally recognized companies, among them: Broderbund Software, Mattel, Nickelodeon and others. She gained recognition for her award winning work.
Susan's watercolor paintings have won numerous awards including the Miriam Schorr Award for works on paper from the National Association of Women Artists, New York. She is a juried member of Watercolor West. Her work has been exhibited in many national and international exhibitions including Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, Hilton Head Art League, Montana Watercolor Society, Eastern Washington Watercolor Society, Society of Western Artists, National Watercolor Exhibiton, New American Gallery, and many others. Her work has been featured in The Best of Flower Painting, North Light Books.
Susan lives in the Petaluma CA countryside, where she maintains her studio . . .
and teaches classes and workshops locally and abroad, and in her 100 year old barn.
Statement
"As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life."—John Lubbock
My journey as a painter began at a very early age, as a child trying to make marks on paper that looked like something recognizable. I was always fascinated with color. I painted in oil at first, but spent the last 25 years working primarily with watercolor, trying to master that lovely unpredictable medium. I moved from still life to figures to abstractions and more. I like a challenge, and am always eager to grow.
Right now I am doing a lot of plein air work in watercolor, gouache and oil. I try to capture both the quality of light and also the essence of whatever I paint. Painting is really about seeing. It is an exciting pursuit to capture the color of light and how it affects the color of objects. With every plane change there is a color change. The color of an object in the morning light is different from that same object in afternoon light. Sunny days different from gray days.
As for as my mission as a painter, my goal is to fuse visual and spiritual content with technical excellence, in order to build a bridge between the viewer and myself. I want to communicate the essence of a thing—with figures, maybe it's the inner life that unifies ordinary people; with landscapes, the spiritual presence in nature; with still life, the beauty of everyday objects—the art that colors my life. It is a joyful journey, however, it begins with the fundamentals. I believe that mastering the fundamentals of any art form is eventually liberating. It allows for effortless expression. It is a lifelong journey.
Résumé
Selected Exhibitions
Watercolor West XXXIX Annual Juried Exhibition, Riverside Museum, Los Angeles, CA
National Association of Women Artists: Miriam Schorr Memorial Award for Works on Paper, New York, NY
National Watercolor Exhibition, New American Gallery, New York, Honorable Mention
Watercolor West XXX National Annual Exhibition, La Brea, CA
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society 20th International Juried Exhibition, Lancaster, PA
Hilton Head Art League national Juried Exhibition, Hilton Head Island, SC
Montana Watercolor Society 17th Annual National Exhibition, Bigfork, MT
Eastern Washington Watercolor Society National Exhibition, Richland, WA
Bedford Gallery Water+Color Juried Exhibition, Walnut Creek, CA
Marin County Fair, Fine Art Exhibit, San Rafael, CA First Place Award, Best in Class
Watercolor Assoc. of Sonoma County Aqua Areas Annual Juried Exhibition, People's Choice Award
California Watercolor Association Winter Exhibit, Third Place Award
Society of Western Artists Annual Exhibition, Academy of Art College Gallery, San Francisco, CA
San Bernardino Art Association Inland Exhibition XXXVI, San Bernardino, CA
Society of Western Artists National Open Competition, Merced, CA
Celebrate Agriculture with the Arts Madera Arts Council, Madera, CA First Place Award
Watercolor Assoc. of Sonoma County Aqua Areas Juried Watercolor Exhibition, Honorable Mention
Mother Lode National 33rd Annual Art Exhibition, Placerville, CA
Galleries
Lily Rock Gallery, Palm Springs, CA
New American Gallery, New York, NY
Bigfoot Gallery, Bigfoot, MT
Fairmont Gallery, Sonoma CA
San Bernardino Museum, San Bernardino CA
Lancaster Art Museum, Lancaster, PA
Blackhawk Gallery, Danville, CA
Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
Walter Greer Gallery, Hilton Head Island, SC
Riverside Gallery, LaBrea, CA
Academy of Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Sonoma county Museum, Santa Rosa, CA
Loanna Clark Gallery, Petaluma, CA
Gallery One, Petaluma CA
Pelican Gallery, Petaluma, CA
Associations and Affiliations
National Association of Women Artists
Watercolor West (Juried Member)
California Watercolor Association
Society of Western Artists
Watercolor Artists of Sonoma County
Cultural Arts Council of Sonoma County
Publications
The Best of Flower Painting, Kathryn Kipp, North Light Books, 1997
Festivals
Bellevue Festival of the Arts, Bellevue, WA
Southwst Arts Festival, Albuquerque, NM
San Diego Arts Festival, San Diego, CA
Sausalito Art Festival, Sausalito, CA
Saratoga Rotary Arts Festival, Saratoga, CALa Jolla Festival of the Arts, La JOlla, CA
La Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta CA
Mill Valley Arts Festival, Mill Valley, CA
Palo Alto Fine Arts Festival, Palo Alto, CA
Fine Art Santa Barbara, Santa BArbara, CA
Salute to the Arts, Town Square, Sonoma CA
Marin Art Festival, Civic Center Lagoon, San Rafael, CA
Los Altos Rotary Fine Art Show, Los Altos, CA Mayor's Choice Award
International ArtExpo San Francisco San Francisco, CA
Capitola Arts Festival, Capitola, CA
Saramento Fine Arts Festival, Sacramento, CA
Napa VAlley Mustard FEstival, Napa, CA
Palm Springs Art in the Village, Palm Springs, CA
Celebration of Craftswomen, San Franciso, CA
ARTrails, Sonoma County Cultural Arts Open Studio Tour, 12 years
Education
Sonoma State University, Bachelor of Arts, Music
Penn State University, University Park PA, English Literature
College of Marin, AA, Music
Private Study
Chama School/Henry Hensche method: John Robichaud
Plein Painters of America Scottsdale School: Frank LaLumia, Mary DeLoyht-Arendt and Raleigh McKinney
Intensive Studies Seminar, Taos NM: Skip Lawrence, Katherine Lui, Fran Larsen, Christopher Schink and Alex Powers
Selected workshops and private study: Don Andrews, Jeanne Carbonetti, John Salminen, Peggi Kroll-Roberts, Camille Przewodek. Jean Grastorf, Arne Westerman, Jane Hofstetter, George James and others
