Susan Handau

I am an abstract painter expressing my work by exploring the relationship between
nature and our aging environment. Using dialogue between the two can be my best
source of inspiration. The severity of the elements can age and weather surfaces
creating the most interesting designs. The distressed look of patina on metal and
dilapidating walls intrigue me by their naturally occurring abstract patterns.
How many stories do these old structures hide in their layers as they are slowly
peeling away by the elements?
The past fascinates me which further feeds the imagination to help create my own
historical narrative in my paintings. The tactility of multiple textures and the effects
they have as one is layered onto another, are the backbones of my work. I use wax,
paint, plaster, salt, and fibers to build up thick surfaces. Between the layering, I scrape
and sometimes chisel through the layers leaving deep marks and revealing underlying
skins of paint. The process is both repetitive and therapeutic. I compare it to delving
into the “past” stratum of my own history.

I have a BA in Art History

1998 Honorable Mention, Beverly Hills Art Show
2006 Grant Recipient Visual Artist, Sierra Arts Foundation
2022 Project Grant, National Endowment for the Arts and Nevada Council

2021 Led by Vision, 3-person show, Sierra Arts Foundation, Reno, NV
2022 Blending of Two Minds, 2-person show, Nevada Fine Arts, Reno, NV
2022, 2023 Reno Tahoe International Art Show: Heart of Reno, Reno, NV
1998, 2006, 2009 Affair in the Gardens, Beverly Hills Art Show, Beverly Hills, CA

Gerhard Richter is a big influence on my current work. I like Mark Rothko's color field paintings and the expressionist look of his work.

high texture, abstract, layered colors, mixed media