Susan Schwake-Larochelle, an artist from Rochester, NH, participates in the Artists Interview Artists Project. Below Susan responds to another artist's five questions (Jean Hutter from Lakewood, NJ). In order to participate, Susan had to provide me with five questions for some other artist to answer. The assigning of questions to artists is completely random. If you're an artist and interested in participating, let me know.
Surface Blue
paper, oil, graphite, acrylic on canvas
11" x 14"
1. Have you ever struggled with your artistic direction?
Yes, in two ways. First - I love to teach art to children. This is a struggle for me as even though it has always been on my terms, (meaning I do it privately) it does chop up the creative part of the day for me. It can be draining and it can be rewarding. When it doesn't become rewarding or inspirational to me further, I will be done with it.Secondly, I like to experiment a lot with materials. I find that stoneware clay as well as encaustic painting are as interesting to me as oils and acrylics. I want to weld again on a large scale as well as try my hand at stone carving. I make wood block prints about once a year and work out my ideas for paintings through gelatin monotypes. So direction to me is a rather crooked path, which I enjoy.
2. Have you ever stopped working for an extended period of time - and if "yes" why?
No, I have done some form of art most everyday since I was a very young child.
3. If you are not physically "making art" do you make art in your mind?
Yes! I dream of art at night occasionally, and when I am not making art I am always contemplating new ideas for the next whatever. I sketch them out in clay, micron pen, pencil, and watercolor. I am inspired by simple daily routines, common images, and words. I save a lot of paper and photos from a myriad of sources which inspire my non "producing time" thought processes.
4. Can you just jump right in and start to work or do you have any "warm up" rituals that you do?
Yes, I just jump right in. I am not worried or frightened by white canvases, fresh clay, new encaustic pigments or fresh sheets of expensive paper. And most often I have six or ten works going at one time. I work from my own ideas, from sketches both old and new as well as take time to think when I am away from my studio so I am ready to go when I sit down to work.
5. Do you have no problem critiquing other's work but have a problem critiquing your own?
I am also a gallery owner so I have to critique others work on an ongoing basis. I am hard on myself occasionally as well as too easy on myself. I have a wide group of artist friends who I trust and admire their critiques of my work. I frequently ask them to look at my work as I do theirs. My husband is at the top of the list. Fortunately for me, he has had years of formal training, taught at the university level along with knowing what good art is. He is himself a very good designer and has an impeccable eye. He also is German so he doesn't "soft soap" me. I am thankful for he critiques I receive from them all!
Poppies III
acrylic and oil on canvas
16" x 16" x 3"
Previous Interviews:
Juno Doran (questions by James W. Bailey)
Josh Feldman (questions by Joseph Barbaccia)
Lisa Stephenson (questions by Whitney Lynn)
Joseph Barbaccia (questions by Josh Feldman)
James W. Bailey (questions by Matt Hollis)
Matt Hollis (questions by Juno Doran)
Carol Es (questions by James Leonard)
Alexandra Silverthorne (questions by Ami Lahoff)
Christine Buckton Tillman (questions by Carol Es)
Douglas Witmer (questions by Alexandra Silverthorne)
Sky Pape (questions by Douglas Witmer)
Whitney Lynn (questions by Lisa Stephenson)
Heather Levy (questions by Joanne Greenbaum)
Heather Lowe (questions by Samantha Wolov)
Samantha Wolov (questions by Heather Levy)
Timothy McClellan (questions by Heather Lowe)
James Leonard (questions by Sky Pape)
Joanne Greenbaum (questions by Timothy McClellan)
Richard Kooyman (questions by Robert Walton)
Candy Keegan (questions by Warren Craghead)
Robert Walton (questions by Candy Keegan)
John M. Adams (questions by Richard Kooyman)
Prescott Moore Lassman (questions by Mary Addison Hackett)
Mary Addison Hackett (questions by Prescott Moore Lassman)
Andrew Wodzianski (questions by Nathan Manuel & D.Billy)
Nathan Manuel & D.Billy (questions by Andrew Wodzianski)
Michael Janis (questions by Scott Listfield)
Scott Listfield (questions by Michael Janis)
F. Lennox Campello (questions by Sean Hennessy)
Matt Andrade (questions by Adrian Parsons)
Sean Hennessy (questions by F. Lennox Campello)
George Wayne (questions by Michelle McAuliffe)
Eridanus Sellen (questions by Anabela Jevtovic)
Anabela Jevtovic (questions by Eridanus Sellen)
Marianela de la Hoz (questions by A.B. Miner)
Martin Henry (questions by Barbara Johnson-Gresser)
A.B. Miner (questions by George Wayne)
Barbara Johnson-Gresser (questions by Martin Henry)
Adrian Parsons (questions by Matt Andrade)
Heather Schmaedeke (questions by Patricia Hartnett)
Anthony Easton (questions by Melissa Kennedy)
Roz Leibowitz (questions by Anthony Easton)
Melissa Kennedy (questions by Tracy Lee)
Michelle McAuliffe (questions by Marianela de la Hoz)
Tim Folzenlogen (questions by Jason Hanasik)
Rob Willms (questions by Dott Schneider)
Marsha Stein (questions by Gregg Chadwick)
Jason Hanasik (questions by Tim Folzenlogen)
John LeKay (questions by Rosa Naparstek)
Brock Neilson (questions by Richard Vosseller)
Rosa Naparstek (questions by Howard Salmon)
Patricia Hartnett (questions by Verta Reyes)
William Andrews (questions by Bean Gilsdorf)
Howard Salmon (questions by John LeKay)
Corey Amaro (questions by Jason Dean and Matt Nash)
Michael Grayeagle (questions by Chris Ashley)
Marion Boddy-Evans (questions by Deborah Fisher)
Richard Vosseller (questions by Brock Neilson)
Deborah Fisher (questions by Corey Amaro)
Eileen Wold (questions by Michael Grayeagle)
Rob Myers (questions by William Andrews)
Gregg Chadwick (questions by Marsha Stein)
Chris Ashley (questions by Eileen Wold)
Verta Reyes (questions by Heather Schmaedeke)
Jason Dean & Matt Nash (questions by Rob Myers)
Mary Taitt (questions by Adriane Giberson)
Adriane Giberson (questions by Peter Ferko)
Peter Ferko (questions by Amethyst Begley)
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