Susan Tormoen

Artist Statement:

I am a Colorado Springs artist, educated in philosophy at Carleton and Lake Forest College. I work in pastel, oil, and woven tapestry. Slightly abstract I am especially concerned with color. Subject matter is usually landscape, but I enjoy architecture and figure also.

Early on, as I was finishing my studies as a young mother, I took a few art classes. For years I concentrated on watercolor but after moving to Colorado from Wisconsin and taking a workshop with Pueblo artist Fran Dodd, I became enamored with pastels. It was then that spontaneity became characteristic of my style. I love color and the way it is possible with the stroke of a pastel stick. I renewed my acquaintance with oil and the pallet knife is usually my instrument of choice.

The visual impact of color is the main objective of my work. I use complimentary colors to facilitate this – orange and blue, red and green and purple and yellow. Currently I depend almost exclusively on a pallet knife to apply them. When I mix colors from a tube of paint, I do so only partly leaving streaks of pure color in the stroke. Hopefully the process results in a visual impact on the viewer which achieves a pleasure similar to the artist’s satisfaction in the work.

The Gentle Rain Band will be live at Rico’s Cafe & Wine Bar during First Friday.