It's All DownHill From Here-A Painting A Day

I found I had alot of paint left at the end of the day, so I used what was on my palette to create this brilliantly hued little work that just sings with color and rich texture. It is heavy impasto, lots and lots of built up layers, all done with knife. I find there are techniques I can get from a knife that just can't be delivered with a brush, LOVE that !

This one is considerably looser, much less "structured" than the other works posted here. I enjoy working this way now and then, it is a sort of purge.

This is a 6"x6" oil, sides painted ( as with most all my work) so you needn't frame it. ( unless you feel some deep conviction about framing, that is. :) This work would be such a lovely spot of color on a bookshelf, your office cubicle, on an etagere or mantel, anywhere you want some color to live.

You may purchase it securely through www.FineArtBySusiFranco.com.

Thanks for taking a look, there is more to come~

copyright Susi Franco 2008

Wishing Tree-Landscape Meditation

The tree stands stalwart against a heavenly sky, reaching upwards, always upwards, as the sun nestles into the hillocks below. A tree which invites the weary traveller to stop and rest a while, perhaps consider the many blessings we are all so quick to forget, to renew ourselves, our spirit. The meditation for this landcape is "An honest heart is the first blessing, a knowing head is the second"(-Thomas Jefferson)

I love the mood of this little work, which is an 8"x10" oil on panel. It has enough knife work to impart a wonderful texture and the color is delicious. This work can be purchased at www.FineArtBySusiFranco.com.

Hope this work pleases you as much as it does me. :)

Warmly: Susi

The Zen of Italy-heavy impasto, brilliant color

Aaaaaaaahhhhhh, there's that lovely light again ! When I was in Italy not so long ago, I saw so many gorgeous color-filled vistas like this one. I love the last remnants of a bright sun, reluctantly retreating behind stately cypresses, poplars and oaks, all poetically reflected in the water below.

It is a tranquil scene whose meditation is :"A single day is enough to make us a little larger"(-Paul Klee) I feel that is poignantly important because we so often tell ourselves " I'll do that tomorrow, or, later I'll address that". If we can consistently carpe diem, we'd likely find ourselves in the happy circumstance of realizing our dreams.
This 11"x14" oil is very heavily impasto'd and has tons of palette knife texture; it was done entirely with knife. Although the original is SOLD, you can purchase a hand-enhanced giclee at www.FineArtBySusiFRanco.com. Thanks for looking~

copyright protected, Susi Franco, 2008

The Road Home-Ethereal Light and Familiar Feelings

I genuinely love creating these lovely little works with beautiful, mysterious light, almost heavenly light, I think...and lovely little jolts of color. My pal Laureen ( an amazing artist) says they make you want to "be in them". I suppose that's what I'm going for here, little works which transport the viewer for a moment, maybe instill a feeling of peace, of quiet happiness, of thought & consideration.

The meditation for this 11"x14" work is " The beginning is always today" (-Mary Wollstonecraft). The times I get hung up in a problem or situation are almost always related to my not being fully present in the moment, worrying about some far off thing not here yet; this painting is a reminder to be grounded in the now, that each new day is an opportunity to start again.

This has alot of knife work, particularly the trees, and features a soft lavender sky; it welcomes the viewer in, maybe reminds you of your own road home. :) This work may be purchased securely at www.FineArtBySusiFranco.com. Enjoy!
Don't forget to check out my book at www.Amazon.com, "Angels With Stethoscopes", and thanks for taking time to look.~ :)
all images copyright protected-2001-2007

Lavender Farm in Provence

God, don't you just adore France ? And the sweet aroma of lavender simply transports me....aaaaaaah~ Put the two together and it is poetry. :)
This pretty little study in purples, mauve, indian yellow and white was done entirely with knife and is 11"x14", with heavily built-up texture. It has that magical sort of ethereal light I am so fond of, and features some play with perspective, always a delight for the eye.

This work gives me such an uplift...the meditation for this one is " something good always awaits at the end of the road if we can just believe it will be there". I tell myself every day to "leap and believe the net will be there". This work is another way of expressing that philosophy.

You may purchase this work securely at www.FineArtBySusiFranco.com.
All work copyright protected, Susi Franco 2008.

LandScape Meditations-Red Sky With Cypress-Daily Painting

I have recently gotten the "Landscape Bug" again, and find myself lovingly painting these sort of dreamy oils with ethereal light sources. They allow me to travel to a place in my head where everything is tranquil and beautiful, nothing ruffles or offends the consciousness.

An artist pal of mine came in and saw them as I worked and said "Suze, ya oughta call these Meditations because they are very serene". I took her advice. :) I am doing these Daily Paintings with great relish; it allows me to exorcise my painting demons. ( the one that keeps me cooped up in the house with a brush in hand, hair wild and woolly, coffee cup too close to the turp)
The meditation for this work is : "you must trust your inner knowing; if you have a clear mind you won't have to search for direction, direction will come to you" ( -Phil Jackson)

I VERY purposefully paint in a variety of schools, sometimes an Impressionistic mode, and other times, much more contemporary, slightly edgy themes which morph between abstraction and reality. See the photos I have posted for an idea of what I'm up to.

I refuse to limit myself to only one style, which admittedly can be confusing for some folks. I like to use Picasso as an example; if you take the time to look at his early works, you'd be astounded to see the portraits he did; if you didn't know it was Picasso, in a bazillion years you'd never guess it. He moved through various styles and schools in his career before he landed in one that made him a household word.

I have no illusions as to my place in the art world food chain, but I have eked out a bit of acclaim and hope to do even better. Winning two International Awards and having my work selected for decor on the TV show "Extreme MakeOver:Home Edition '08 ain't exactly chopped livah, ya know. :)

I can proudly say I am enthusiastically collected all over the U.S., something of a hit in Europe ( see Bio) and semi-resident artist in several galleries on the East Coast.

I have always enjoyed the palette knife, but have found a whole new mode of expression in it's use recently. See the series "Rainy Days and Mondays" ( soon to be posted here, currently posted at ImageKind.com, search my name) for examples.

These dreamy landscape "meditations"you see on this page all have palette knife in them, along with some brush work as well. I love building up texture, and those are usually universal features of my work: texture and intense color.
These are small paintings, all usually under 11"x14" and are modestly in price. For the most part, I am not offering frames with them, to keep cost down and make shipping less costly.
You can purchase this work through www.FineArtBySusiFranco.com.

I am not a fan of listing work at Ebay for bidding, image theft is rampant there. Just take a quick minute to visit my new site, www.FineArtBySusiFranco.com, where you can see this work and many others, available for your purchase.

It is worth mentioning that I am also a nationally published author, of the book "Angels With Stethoscopes", available at www.Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. If you'd like to purchase the book along with a painting, I'll include it for $17.95. ( the online book retailers charge less because they get hundreds of copies at a time from the publisher, it isn't feasible for me to do that.) The book has received glowing reviews and is a candidate for a national book award. I am fiercely proud of it~

Come back and visit again soon, won't you ?

Warmly: Susi copyright 2008, Susi Franco