Is the work for sale? Price?
I am a working artist. Unless marked "sold", all pieces on this site are available for purchase. Further, the images on this site are not a comprehensive list of every painting that I currently have. And, of course, new pieces are always - we hope - being produced.
Pricing covers a range and is determined by size and medium. For example, one of the "meat" paintings, 8 inch x 8 inch, is currently $600. A 3 foot x 3 foot landscape, because of its size, is $3000.
I am willing to work with a customer with payment plans, etc. It's most important to me that someone who appreciates a piece have it. Again, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Pricing covers a range and is determined by size and medium. For example, one of the "meat" paintings, 8 inch x 8 inch, is currently $600. A 3 foot x 3 foot landscape, because of its size, is $3000.
I am willing to work with a customer with payment plans, etc. It's most important to me that someone who appreciates a piece have it. Again, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Where can I find your work?
You can find the work here at my studio in Portland, Oregon, and through the following galleries:
Bend Independent Contemporary Arts
Susan Maasch Fine Art
And, of course, here on this site.
I am not currently showing in my home city of Portland. I should do something about that.
Bend Independent Contemporary Arts
Susan Maasch Fine Art
And, of course, here on this site.
I am not currently showing in my home city of Portland. I should do something about that.
Reproductions?
I will pursue producing archival prints in the near future.
Do you do workshops?
I'd like to. Are you interested? Send me a note.
What kind of paint do you use? brushes? medium? colors?
The answers to these questions never stop changing.
Paint: I paint almost exclusively oils. I currently use Utrecht brand paint. Their oil paint is sufficient pigment rich for my needs. Oil does come with its share of concerns and issues, but the kind of saturation and ability to keep moving it around is unrivaled by the plastic paint (acrylic). There are times when I wish I was working with acrylic, but then I look at a painting of mine such as Lamb Chop 4 and I remember why I love oil. I won't go so far as to say that I pity those working in acrylic, but almost.
Brushes: Making a painting is akin to being the mad tinkerer. I use bristle brushes when I'm not using other brushes. I use a palette knife when I'm not using a scrap of cardboard. And a rag when I'm not using the corner of a sleeve (doing laundry can be tricky). I clean our house's gutters more often than I clean my brushes.
Painting Medium: My meat and potato medium is a variation of the classic oil medium. I say "variation", because each time I mix up a batch it's different. A typical jar is 2/3rds Stand Oil, 1/3rd Damar Varnish, a tiny tiny amount of Japan Drier, and a splash of turpentine. This dries to the touch in a few days or so, hasn't shown itself to be prone to cracking after decades, and gives me just enough slip and slide to make me happy.
Color: Whatever the painting needs. It seems like a silly answer, but after years of painting, I know pretty well what any color will do with other colors. Having said that, my typical palette includes Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Yellow Ocher, Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue, Pthalo Green, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, some sharp yellow (Hansa, Cadmium Medium, etc), Ivory Black, and white. My secret weapon is Dioxazine Purple.
Paint: I paint almost exclusively oils. I currently use Utrecht brand paint. Their oil paint is sufficient pigment rich for my needs. Oil does come with its share of concerns and issues, but the kind of saturation and ability to keep moving it around is unrivaled by the plastic paint (acrylic). There are times when I wish I was working with acrylic, but then I look at a painting of mine such as Lamb Chop 4 and I remember why I love oil. I won't go so far as to say that I pity those working in acrylic, but almost.
Brushes: Making a painting is akin to being the mad tinkerer. I use bristle brushes when I'm not using other brushes. I use a palette knife when I'm not using a scrap of cardboard. And a rag when I'm not using the corner of a sleeve (doing laundry can be tricky). I clean our house's gutters more often than I clean my brushes.
Painting Medium: My meat and potato medium is a variation of the classic oil medium. I say "variation", because each time I mix up a batch it's different. A typical jar is 2/3rds Stand Oil, 1/3rd Damar Varnish, a tiny tiny amount of Japan Drier, and a splash of turpentine. This dries to the touch in a few days or so, hasn't shown itself to be prone to cracking after decades, and gives me just enough slip and slide to make me happy.
Color: Whatever the painting needs. It seems like a silly answer, but after years of painting, I know pretty well what any color will do with other colors. Having said that, my typical palette includes Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Yellow Ocher, Ultramarine Blue, Pthalo Blue, Pthalo Green, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, some sharp yellow (Hansa, Cadmium Medium, etc), Ivory Black, and white. My secret weapon is Dioxazine Purple.
How do you frame a painting?
I float the the small pieces in a stout black frame with a 1/2" reveal around the piece. It gives them an appropriate weight on a wall and doesn't hide any of the painting behind a frame. You can see some images of the frames here.
For the larger pieces, I use a floater frame. You can see one of these frames in the opening image of this blog post.
For the larger pieces, I use a floater frame. You can see one of these frames in the opening image of this blog post.
How long does a painting take?
Depending on how you do the math, upwards of 37 years.
How long have you been painting?
Not long enough.
Meat? Paintings of meat?
Yes.
Do you do commissions?
Yes. If something of mine that you know is unavailable interests you, tell me. Not every painting is on the site and I may have what you're looking for. But if it doesn't exist, if what you're looking for is interesting and appropriate for my skills, I am very open to commissions. At any given time, I am usually working on several. While I am won't paint you a beige and orange painting with hints of blue to match your persian rug, working with someone towards an idea is very rewarding. If you'd like to talk to me further about a commission, please use the contact link at the top of the page.
Which artists influence you?
I am, as you can tell, something of a throw back. There are many giants that never fail to inspire me. They include de Kooning, Degas, Rembrandt, Goya, Van Gogh, Klimt, Diebenkorn and, as a kid from Pennsylvania, the Wyeths. Beyond them, I tend to be a bit reclusive. My motivations to do so may be childish, but I prefer to plow ahead without too much influence, too much impact from others.
Where did you study?
I received my BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. I was fortunate to study under some great artists including, among others, Thomas Sgouros, Victor Lara, Dean Richardson, and David Macaulay. More important were the friendships I built with a few fellow students there. We had similar enough goals and have pushed each other over the years to be better artists, long since we graduated.