Susan Martinez

Susan Martinez is primarily a self-taught artist culminating from the past 25 years of travel around the globe and her eye for color and design. Although she has a BA in Art from Eastern Illinois University and has always sought a creative outlet in some form, painting and oil pastel are a medium she has recently pursued with a new vigor and passion.

Also, holding a BS degree in Culinary Arts, ingredients and plate presentation were her canvas. Photography, jewelry design, and interior design are high on the list as creative endeavors for her as well.

While using acrylics, oil bar, graphite and oil pastel Martinez says her process is all intuition. She begins each painting with initial mark making and then starts a conversation with the piece letting it evolve as it will, building layers by applying paint and then scratching or wiping paint away until the point of completion. This point varies constantly as it could take hours or months to finish one painting.

What emerges is a body of work that reflect the energy of abstract expressionism as well as the strong combination and placement of color.

For Martinez it is the process that is the important part of creating. Just as she prepares food and layers ingredients to find the perfect balance that excite the taste buds, her paintings are created to excite the eyes and stir the soul.

“When I am finished preparing a meal I am happier to have others enjoy it as now I feel I have completed my masterpiece. I feel the same way about my art”.

~Susan Martinez