Title & Artist:  "Marblehead Walkabout" – by Susan J. Schrader

Medium & Size:  Acrylic and India ink on wood.  21 7/8" L x 8 5/8" H x 3/4" D.  For indoor display only.

Artist Statement:  My work is about life. About release. About letting go. About giving oneself up to what life has to offer: happiness, love, friendship, wonderment, grasping/releasing. My paintings show my love of drawing! I draw very organically with India ink on the blank canvas and see what creatures will come to life. Then I begin to add my color—I’m in love with bright, vibrant colors and loads of detail—dots upon dots! My paintings are about life and love and friendships. They are about relationships within yourself as well as with other people and moments in life.

I communicate emotions through the simplicity of my quirky, little figures. These creatures live amongst themselves on their own or together in a moment in time. How they themselves interact with each other upon the surface of the canvas invites us to perhaps ponder how we feel when we are faced with a moment in our own lives that brings us connection to someone or something.

Artist Biography:  I am a visual artist, born in Canada and now living in Marblehead with my husband and two boys. I received a BFA at The Queen’s University in Canada and an MFA at Illinois State University, studying drawing, printmaking, painting, and art history. Currently I am working on a new series of drawings and paintings on canvas.

My work comprises whimsical pen and ink drawings, mostly of people, that are rich in color, full of creative patterns and bizarre movements. My current series is focused on cartoonlike abstracted human figures that float and dance about the surface of the canvas.

Raising my two boys and dogs, as well as soaking up the culture and art during several extensive family trips, have added fuel to my creative fire. These trips to India, South Africa, and Australia, for example, have given me much inspiration!

Running, as well as practicing Zen meditation and spending time in the garden, are my tools to help focus my creative energy. I am excited to be producing my art once again after a significant time off—and I have found a renewed energy and focus within myself. I feel that this rejuvenated creative drive is reflected throughout my art.

Hosting Business:  "Marblehead Walkabout" is on display at Mud Puddle Toys, 1 Pleasant St., Marblehead, MA.