susanframe@susanframe.com

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Susan has been painting and playing with ink for over thirty five years. Her techniques, rooted in the traditional brush and ink manipulations of China and Japan, are contemporary and experimental. She is well-known for her free and expressive imagery. She has also developed a style of writing her poetry using English words in a vertical format, like grass-style Asian calligraphy. As far as she knows, she is the first person in the U.S. and perhaps in the world to personalize calligraphy in this way. These calligraphic artworks have been exhibited in Xi’an, China, New York, and Paris.

Susan studied traditional and modern East Asian brush painting extensively with internationally renowned artists. She exhibits internationally (most recently Paris, 2007), wins awards and grants, and teaches all over the U.S.  (and in some other countries as well). Her work is included in museum, corporate, and private collections. She is a faculty member of the Edina Art Center (MN), the Grand Marais Art Colony (MN), and the Dunedin Fine Art Center (FL).

In 2002, Susan’s book “Japanese Ink Painting, A Beginner’s Guide to Sumi-e” was published in 7 countries, and another is in the works. She is a Board member of the Sumi-e Society of America, and a member of Art of Ink in America, PAVA (Professional Association of Visual Artists), and the Ming Chiao (Minnesota Bridge) chapter of the Sumi-e Society.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Why Do I Paint?

I paint because I feel beauty in the world. Painting is my tie to simplicity in our complex environment. I paint the world around me, the birds in my backyard, the flowers in my garden, the forest at my cabin. My process involves immersing myself in my subject matter to understand its spirit, and then interpreting with my brush and paint. It’s not about the specific moment of seeing the sunset -- it’s about an eternal moment. It’s a connection, rather than an intellectual search -- a dance that captures the beauty and joy of nature. To this end, I pour, splash, and paint my way through life using ink, watercolor, dry pigments, dyes, and acrylic paints on rice papers and silks.

I hope that when you look at my paintings you find joy and beauty too.

Susan Frame, Artist

Ongoing studio classes. E-mail for info

Classes and workshops @ Edina Art Center

www.edinaartcenter.com