Susan Rowbottom Oils
"Not a day goes by without me seeing something that moves and uplifts me - something that makes my soul dance. It may be as universal as a blazing sunset or as private as the color of a person's eyes; as colorful as a flower garden or as subdued as the night sky. My intention as a painter, is to capture this thing, this beauty, and to bring it to attention. It is my way of saying 'thank you God.' We live in a beautiful world."
I was born in Milwaukee and began to paint after my fifth (and youngest) daughter was born. During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, I decided to sell the family house and move to the Lower East Side of Milwaukee. It consisted of a massive downsizing of objects and simplification of my life. I am now taking more time for myself and for my art. Looking forward to new experiences in this changing chapter of my life.
For a long time, I was hesitant to describe myself as an artist. I came from a math and science background, and did not pick up a paint brush until my mid life. Now I wholly understand what the word "artist" means - it means to see and create. I see the world differently than most people do, and I am constantly striving to convey what I see onto my canvas. Sometimes these images exist only in my mind. The creative drive is strong in me. It is innate, and I know it is a gift. My paintings are meditations - I become unaware of the passing of time and what is going on around me. When I am awakened from the trance-like state, I am always surprised by what I have created. It is like sleepwalking - you see the world from a dream-like state of consciousness.
-SUSAN
Awards and Achievements
Northwestern Mutual has acquired 8 paintings to date
Chosen as the Sojourner Family Peace Center's Mother's Day Artist 2008.
A regular participant in Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) “Open Canvas” event from 2003 - 2015
An occasional participant in Gallery Night and Day (Third Ward) and more frequent participant in the "West Side" version
Has participated in many of the Cedarburg Plein Air events, and more recently in Wauwatosa's own plein air event. (Received a blue ribbon in the quick paint category 2010)