Susan Wakefield
Growing up in Montana, I found inspiration in the outdoors whether horseback riding with my dad, or taking family trips to the mountains to hike and fish. I was impressed by the colors of nature and the variety of wildlife. It was fun to walk along the river gravel beds to look for interesting and colorful agates.
As my desire to capture these outdoor scenes and animals grew, my father was a big influence. He provided the encouragement to help me visualize the ideas behind my sketches that lead up to my paintings and drawings. My early artwork consisted of watercolors, pastels, and acrylic paintings reflecting outdoor winter scenes along portraits of horses and cowboys.
To expand my art training, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education and Earth Science. With my degree, I was eager to pursue a teaching position, and I was offered the position of high school art instructor at Powell High School in Wyoming. During my nine years at the high school, I was elected President of the Wyoming Secondary Art Educators, and juried many art exhibitions in the state.
My time in the arts was cut short, when my husband was transferred from Wyoming to Colorado. I made a career change by earning a paralegal certificate where I specialized in Workers’ Compensation law. Since I was no longer teaching, I found outlets for my artwork at local galleries including the Littleton Fine Arts Guild and the Lakewood Arts Council in the Denver area.
Upon retiring my husband and I were looking for a community to prosper and grow in this new chapter of our lives and we found Mesquite. I always knew that I would return to the creative mediums of art, just not sure which ones. Here at the Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery, I have challenged myself with basket making, alcohol ink painting, mosaic in tile and glass, and recently designing cabochons (polished gemstones and minerals) using lapidary tools.
As an accomplished artist, I hope you enjoy my artwork as it is evolving and changing with each new brush stroke and design.