ABOUT SUSAN CLEAVER

 

ARTIST STATEMENT

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Raised on a farm near Queenstown (New Zealand), I grew up surrounded by mountains, water and nature. I have always loved the camera and after some years working in the computer/IT world, I realized the natural symbiosis between photography, creativity, and the digital domain to create fine art.

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I have been creating art from photography for over 10 years, recording the way I view natural NZ and how I want to interpret those scenes. Using Photo Artistry, my works are compiled with multiple images from my own large library of photos. Layered seamlessly, they create the final image and story.

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I describe the genre of my art to a type of Photo Artistry or Photo Media Fine Art. For me it relates to the threshold (or space) of nature between beauty and mystery, between real and not-real. I harness my creative intuition to merge realistic environments with sometimes mysterious or unexpected elements, slowly building towards the story I want to convey. Then with the digital paintbrush using crisp color saturation and dramatic lighting, I finalize the atmosphere of the idea and bring the narrative to life. Sometimes I will continue the process by cutting out and collaging extra layers of particular elements, then using an overpainting technique, I will add several layers of colored acrylic glazes, creating an original fine art mixed media piece.

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Currently I am exploring the issues surrounding Climate Change, with both my Climate Change Series and Still Life Series.  I juxtapose nature’s beauty and inherent wildness by layering different scenes together, asking the viewer to believe (or not) what the art is conveying and to create their own connection with it.

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I hope you, the viewer can find inspiration and beauty through my art. Perhaps even, it may spark a fond memories of your own stories and experiences.

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