As an artist I am bound by Truth. It is therefore mandatory that a strong, intimate connection be forged with the landscape if the expression of it as a painting is to be one of complete honesty and integrity.
I spend a very long time in communion with Nature before I give myself permission to make a creative representation of it in a painting.
My painting references consist of a visual diary, small painting studies, pencil and charcoal sketches and hundreds of photographs. While I am conscious of ‘not’ remaining faithful to the photographic image, I do like to surround myself in the studio with all my references so that they may be mentally and visually processed before I commence painting. After processing the information, I put most of the references away and place a lot of trust in what I call ‘a well developed sense of recall’. I mentally put myself back into that landscape and I can actually remember and feel the emotions of the experiences I had there. The sights, the sounds, the colours, the smells, the textures, the weather and atmospheric conditions of the location become very clear in my conscious mind. My emotional response to that experience is what fuels the urge to paint it. This state of mind is commonly called ‘the zone’.
And then I paint.
My travel experiences and the ensuing paintings have become the building blocks of a personal mythology concerning my physical and spiritual presence in the landscape.
Making art is a valid statement about whom and where we are at any moment in time. For me, it is a record of my personal history. The innate ability to make art is a gift. To use that ability and leave works of beauty is the gift passed on.
I truly love the creative process. I love the joy, the excitement and the wonderment of it all. I have also learned to embrace the struggle; it is imperative to my growth and it is an integral part of the driving force to create.
I am on an exciting journey of self-discovery through the humble act of painting.
Suzanne Lindhorst, 2013