Where ART Lives Magazine Volume 1 Number 3 | Page 32

Susan Fowler
April 2015
When did you realize you loved art and wanted to be ‘an artist’?
Maybe it was, with crayon in hand, I scribbled on walls, defaced my parents books, drew carelessly on anything that crossed my path. Continuing on, I joined the Art Club in high school. I
loved the atmosphere because it inspired me to draw figures. My parents archived my work.
Some of these efforts are still with me today.
Who has been the greatest influence from your past to mentor you to this career?
I would have to say my parents. They recognized and supported me as a blossoming talent. I
was always encouraged to pursue art through high school and then eventually through university. I am not sure if they thought about art as a career, but I eventually had to decide on another
path, that of business.
Who is your mentor today, or another artist you admire and why?
Tim Deibler, a Colorado artist, is my mentor. I admired his work for years before being fortunate
to have his time now. He is a very generous art teacher, sharing what he has learned over the
last 30 years, gently nudging us from where we are now to where we want to go.
What is your favorite surface to paint on? Describe it if you make it yourself.
Linen on Gatorboard.
What brand of paints do you use?
The brand is not as important to me; it is more a case of finding a particular color in the viscosity
that I prefer. I have Gamblin, Utretch, Williamsburg, some Robert Dork and some Visari. All are
excellent manufacturers of quality paints.
Do you have a favorite color palette?
I tend to look at the palette as cool colors on one side and opposite warm colors on the other.
Toning colors go across the top. I particularly like Matt Smith’s palette. His limited palette speaks
about the importance of several toning colors, such as purple and black.

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