Susan Gerstein

Artist Statement

Statement

p 1

IMAGINARY LANDSCAPES
"A series of small paintings where I let the paint itself dictate the outcome and become a landscape of of the mind." - Susan Gerstein 2011

p 6

sketches, memory and photographs as reference points.

The poetry of the physical world is endlessly fascinating to me; and the process of painting it is even more so.

The medium I use at any given time influences it; the mood of the moment influences it.

I hope in the end the work speaks for itself.

Susan Gerstein 2003

Hungarian-born realist painter, with a highly developed personal aesthetic, Susan Gerstein, lives and works in New York city.

p 7

Susan Gerstein's solo exhibits in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1999 have received many favorable reviews.

p 8

Susan Gerstein's paintings have also appeared in numerous group exhibitions and at several Biennials at the National Academy Museum in New York city.

p 9

Susan Gerstein works in oil, watercolor, acrylic, and pastel. Most of her recent work consists of landscapes and still lifes.

p 10

Gerstein's paintings are represented in several public and private collections in the United States, Canada and Europe.

p 11

In 1995 one of her paintings was used to illustrate a cover of World Press Review magazine.

p 22

Susan Gerstein's work is included in the art book The Best of Pastel, published in 1996.

With pastels you can't mix colors together in a way you do paints, but you can use optical and broken-color mixing techniques that produce exciting effects.

p 24

Colors can be applied next to or over each other and smoothly blended, or hatched, and cross-hatched to create a shimmering web of color.

With pastels you can lay down a patch of color and then lightly scumble over it with another, creating a veil of color that partially obscures the under layer.

Because the colors mix in the eye, they appear more vibrant.

p 26

Working in pastels combines both drawing and painting skills. It can be treated as a linear medium for outlines and loosely hatched textures, or the color can be laid in broad grainy patches and blended while keeping the surface of the painting light and open.

Pastels are ideal for the travelling artist as they are light, easy to carry and the equipment required is minimal.

p 28

Soft Pastel is excellent both for quick impressions and highly finished drawings. With a wide range of delicate tints and shades, it is particularly suitable for landscapes and skies. Pastel are good media to use for a bold approach.

p 30

Fluid washes of watercolor can bring color and tone and is especially effective for on-the-spot sketches of the landscape: fast and fluid, they capture the freshness and spontaneity of the subject.

In pastel, dynamic shapes formed by the skies and the land convey the mood of the atmosphere.

Click on ORDER FORM for Inquiries - PAYMENT OPTIONS for Art Purchase Next Artist