SUZANNE JACQUOT

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Suzanne Jacquot has been an abstract painter for over 20 years. Her urge to create is strong and has led her in various directions before settling on acrylic painting. She received her BA in design, her MFA in ceramics and photography and and an AT (Art Therapy) credential. For many years, Suzanne ran her own successful graphic design business in the San Francisco Bay Area and was the associate dean of students at CCA in San Francisco before becoming a full time professional painter/teacher.

It has been Suzanne’s love of nature that has kept her exploring the rich environment where she lives bringing the colors of nature and her personal experiences into the studio. In her words:

“While walking in Nature, I am touched by the vulnerability, resilience, preservation and change of all of life and the underlying deeper truth of a constant stream of energy which never changes and which unifies everything.

My paintings explore connection, relationship and belonging. 

In a world where individual desires are primary, often self-serving and without contemplative thought, I want my paintings to help the viewer pause, reflect on our interdependence, and create a deep gratitude and love for the world and being alive.”

Besides her own painting practice, she does private mentoring, runs ART SALON which invites abstract artists to share their life, art and ideas, and is part of a small group of artists who support one another in their own professional art.

To view her art for sale go to www.SuzanneJacquotArt.com

THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING PRESENT IN ART

STAYING PRESENT means being conscious of what is happening within and around you so that you can participate fully in life. It can be thought of as a powerful mental context that gives you self knowledge and allows you to be responsible for your life and make deliberate choices about how to respond rather than simply reacting to events in a preprogrammed way. This is true in making abstract art as well.

In abstract expressionism or non-objective abstract art, staying present is essential to making authentic, powerful art that speaks to the viewers . Your unique creative expression is in every piece of art you do. It is what makes your work yours. Knowing what you like, how you work, being intimate with the materials and the process and what is meaningful to you is a continual exploration. As you become intimate with yourself, you relax into the work and become more present so that you can respond openly from your heart and gut. With practice your art becomes more clear, more consistent, stronger and deeper.

Cultivating Presence is a practice and one that gives a richer more satifying painting experience as well as a more fulfilling life.

When I teach abstract art, I teach letting go of preconceived outcomes, staying in the senses, being curious and doing lots of exploring. While exploring the principles of art, the participant finds out what he/she/they like and don’t like and begin to step into the unknown world of creativity where he/she/they begin to trust their intuition, and respond effortlessly in the moment. This is where the magic happens.

Creatively yours,
Suzane

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THE BASIS OF ALL ART

The basis of painting an object, landscape, feelings, moods, etc., is the mark. A mark is made with the hand or a tool and each gives a unique expression. It is through marks I build a painting. Knowing what marks I love to make and how they relate to one another is my true work of an artist. So, I find it important to practice often. The more I have experienced, the more my paintings flow.

I warm up before I start to work on my paintings by making marks in my mixed media workbook and over the years the many workbooks have offered me insights and inspirations.

Setting aside time each week to explore freely , I discover new marks and ways they interact, what I like and how to make my paintings more dynamic.

MARKS! MARKS! MARKS!
DAY LONG WORKSHOPs

Learn techniques to push your marks to make them exciting and dynamic! Learn how to create paintings with your marks! This workshop will infuse new energy and life into your paintings with new fresh marks. You will try new mark making tools as well. Limited to 7 people. All Levels welcome. Check Under Workshops for dates.

If you would like to make comments or have a question, please contact me through this form below:

Thank you for dropping by!
Suzanne Jacquot

WHY STUDIO PRACTICE?

Suzanne’s studio in Sebastopol, CA.

“All the best ideas come out of the process;


they come out of the work itself.”

— Chuck Close

I am very fortunate to have a wonderfully light filled large dedicated art studio (above) right outside my front door. Showing up every day to create is Studio Practice. Let’s take a closer look at what my Studio Practice is all about.

Basically, my Studio Practice is my individual ideas, subject matter, conceptual possibilities, influences and inspiration and the style of my work dependent on the period of time in which I am working.

It is important to me to include time to literally “practice” my mark making skills, work on ways to accomplish my ideas, explore new techniques, materials, ways of working, color palettes, and time to get into my own rhythms and flow. It is not about producing finished paintings everyday fast, like artists show on Instagram. It is about keeping at it, taking the time necessary, not rushing the process, and being mindful, sensing and intuiting step by step, being in the unknown.

I spend time exploring, developing, refining, resolving, and preparing for presentations. And, I do these steps over and over and over so that they are fluid, natural and spontaneous for me. This is what makes my art ready to go into the world, to be seen, received and appreciated by others. It is a lot of work—- an inward exploration of my deepest desires, finding my truths and expressing them authentically and skillfully. It takes time. It takes courage and curiosity. It requires patience, contemplation, risk taking, compassion and love.

Studio Practice is the backbone of my artistic journey in painting.

If you are an artist, what is your Studio Practice about?

Please feel free to email me with your thoughts and questions.

THANK YOU!