Artist Profile
We had the opportunity to chat with the nine artists featured in the Evergreen Exhibition this fall! They opened up to us and allowed us to understand their artistic process and what inspired them to paint. Keep reading to learn more about these amazing artists and gain insights into what drives them to keep creating.
Read MoreWith work so breathtaking, words are necessary to describe the beauty of Gestures. Twist Gallery’s two-month-long exhibition displays 8 local Toronto artists’ brush strokes, showing just how intentional and deliberate each stroke is.
Read MoreThis month Twist Gallery has chosen 7 local Toronto artists to be a part of our Chromatics Exhibit. Each of these artists has their very own unique inspirations, creative processes and messages they display in their art.
Read More“I truly have a passion for creating art in whatever form. There’s beauty everywhere. I can interpret that and bring what I feel to the viewer and that is the most important thing for me. The amazing world of colors is my day-long joy and obsession.”
“Extracting the Abstract” artist Anna Medevedeva
What is your collection about?
My search for new forms of expression led to my Color Field painting series. My paintings are all about nature, feelings and elements of landscapes.
How did you start out as an artist?
I began painting in my early childhood. I studied in Kustodiev Art School and Academy of Fine Arts in St-Petersburg, Russia. In early 2000’s I moved from traditional realism to my current abstraction.
“Green and Blue” by Anna Medvedeva
What inspires your art?
My inspiration comes from everyday experience and extensive travels. I try to convey the mood and feelings of places and perceptions of those memories. I transform my vision into poetic abstraction, diffused with spiritual resonance and discover the hidden beauty harmony of colour.
Can you walk us through your process of creating an art piece?
My current passion is monotype printmaking. Its unique and original painting made on smooth surfaces such as silicone pad, plexiglass or gelli-plate and transferred on paper. Thanks to this technique, I create unique paintings that cannot be copied or repeated.
The medium of monotype is a form of painting favored since the 17th century by artists such as Rembrandt, Matisse, Chagall, Picasso, Gauguin, Sam Francis, and many others. I spend a lot of time coloring and re-coloring shapes and lines until the dynamics between elements come together and a definite composition arises. I had many lovely and calming feelings working with this series.
“My aim in painting is to explore the creative process. I constantly experiment with different techniques, the goal being to produce paintings that are thought provoking and visually appealing. Ultimately, I paint because it brings me great pleasure. If I can transfer some of that pleasure to viewers of my art, then I have succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.”
How do you describe your relationship with art? What does art mean to you?
Art can provide a variety of reactions: it can soothe, challenge, provoke, inspire, delight, or evoke no emotion whatsoever. Art allows me to see things differently and provides me with a creative outlet that can be either rewarding or frustrating, but always encourages me to push forward.
Same Story, New Perspective #1, 24x24, $575
How did you get into creating abstract artwork? What does abstract mean to you?
I began painting mostly landscapes, seascapes, and florals. Eventually I started to think of different ways to paint things beyond the traditional. I liked the results. Being able to explore different ideas without feeling constrained appeals to me. I find it interesting how the same painting can evoke strikingly different responses from different observers.
Walk us through your journey of creating an art piece.
There is no single path to creating one of my pieces. The concept for the artwork could be extrapolated from photographs, from which I isolate different sections and use each of them as a reference to create an abstract painting. A series may develop almost by accident, by observing how a specific paint reacts on certain papers. The exploration continues by deciding how these new designs can be made into esthetically pleasing pieces of artwork. Other times I may be preoccupied with a shape, such as a circle or something more random, like drips, and I would experiment, creating a series or paintings. Sometimes there is no plan to begin with- just a substrate, paint, (and perhaps other media), and the tools used for application. My paintings may be used to send a message or just to create an image born from my imagination.
Dollar & Sense #1, 24x24, $575
Whose techniques do you study, admire or aspire to follow?
I studied the techniques of the instructors whose art classes and workshops I attended. I enjoy the work of artists who cover a broad range of styles such as Steve Driscoll, Angela Leach, Lawren Harris, Tom Thompson, Jackson Pollock, and the black and white pieces of Paul-Émile Borduas, to name a few.
You can find Susan’s work right now at Twist Gallery until Friday, February 28th, 2020 and purchase her work under our “Artwork” section. Follow Susan Weisz’s work on her website and Instagram.
