Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Currie
Susan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Thanks so much for this opportunity to share a bit of my origin story…
I am a New England native, having grown up myself, and raised a family, in the Boston area. For much of my professional life I wore two hats – that of a writer and communications consultant and also a children’s portrait photographer. When I was not behind a desk helping to tell the high impact stories of the work of non-profit organizations, I could be found out in a field or a playground capturing those unscripted moments of childhood wonder. Looking back, I credit those skills I developed as a writer as instrumental to where I find myself today. Because the truth is, making and sharing art is really a two pronged exercise. While it is fabulous to create magic behind the lens of a camera, at a piano, or at an easel… authentically telling the story of your creative inspiration and you artistic process is equally essential. It gives the work context, and makes it sing.
These days I feel most grateful to make my home full-time here in the Sunshine State. Its landscape, spirit, and coastal beauty never ever fail to astonish me. I spend a great deal of time outdoors in awe of the rich spectrum of bright color at every turn. I refer to this practice as #thoreauing, a term inspired by the writings of Henry David Thoreau whose teachings inform my creative life endlessly. I am also now living my life full time as an artist – another factor for which I have immense gratitude. These two life shifts prompted me to (mostly) trade in my Nikon adventures for acrylic painting and printmaking. The vibrant local colors in the Palm Beach source and and inspire every brush stroke I make. My chromatic takes on simple universal elements also extend a nod back to that art of play and wonder I for so many years documented with my camera… it all circles back.
For the past few years, I have been (especially) following my imagination with the 26 letter nautical code alphabet, creating some contemporary twists on diamond polished acrylic blocks, and on sanded birch panels. These works have led me to collaborate with a with a number of premiere interior designers and consultants such as Amanda Nisbet, Kristin Paton, Keller Donovan, and Kevin Barry Art Advisory for commission and other private/commercial installations. In recent years, select work from my CODE fine art collection has been on exhibit at; Chase Edwards Contemporary in Bridgehampton, Keller Palm Beach, the Chasen Galleries in Sarasota, The 2023 Palm Beach Show, Libby Silvia Artstyle in the Boston area, My Boathouse in Delray Beach, Coastline Gallery in Annapolis, the Palm Beach Artist Collective, and at the Gallery at Four India on Nantucket. My CODE collection has also been featured on the pages of Palm Beach Modern Luxury Magazine. In 2023, select works of mine were on exhibit at Nantucket by Design.
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta… Full confession, I am not a boater. I have never owned a canoe even! But growing up in the Boston area, I have long been fascinated by the simple geometry of these 26 universal letters – a system employed for hundred of years to communicate, simply, on water. At sea, the nautical code letters are crafted from primary colors due to their high contrast and visibility. But, what if the alphabets were to be “borrowed” and repurposed for interior and decorative uses I wondered? Well, the sky is the limit I have found. My signature alphabet designs continue to seize these liberties, and in 2024 I released my 5th brightly colored alphabet, The Surf. I look forward to exhibiting assorted new works of mine in February 2025 at the Lauderdale Yacht Club Invitational Fine Art Show.
https://www.susancurriecreative.com/code
https://www.susancurriecreative.com
@susancurriecreative
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The writer and producer Brian Koppelman once shared, “For artists especially, it’s a fine line between delusion and belief.” The rejections (or absence of replies) remind artists of this every day. You show up 100% to make a work of art and are SO excited to go out and share it with the world. On the rare occasion it might begin to resonate a bit in widening circles. Truthfully speaking, the majority of time that effort produces little credit or professional advancement. You question your sanity daily. But in order to progress and grow as an artist, you have to find your game plan for staying on the “belief” side of that fine line Koppelman references. And, you absolutely have to befriend patience!
The road has not been smooth by any means, and the rejections and setbacks have caused me to recalibrate myself endlessly. The life of an artist is an inward one, with many hours spent solo creating the conditions for your muse to maybe land. Some days it does, and some days you do receive a “yes” in your inbox. Those moments are rare. Looking back though, I now can see that all of these curves have not only strengthened my resilience, but have also made me more confident to keep making the words and pictures that only I was meant to – whether that work reaches an audience of 1 or 100.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Let’s start with what I am most proud of? Beyond my children of course, I am most proud of my latest book SUPERFLOW: Light Up the Artist in You (Nine Rivers, 2020). SUPERFLOW offers readers an easy to digest/grasp approach for making art from one’s most authentic self. It incorporates 2 main limbs, the first one being the essential act of “emptying the mind”. Only then, does the (second limb) “bringing forward”, or making the actual art begin. Everyone is born with the gift of creativity. The SUPERFLOW approach, was developed as a gateway to unclenching creative muscles, igniting the fires of self-expression, and seeing what beautiful looks like for you.
For many years I have practiced yoga as both an instructor and as a student. Daily, on a number of levels, this ancient eight-limbed system informs my creative life. I also practice Transcendental Meditation twice daily. I am a big believer in quieting the mind in order to better connect with one’s creative spirit. There is much wisdom to be tapped into when we can move below the surface of the mind’s perpetual chaos. After many years of sharing some of my signature reminders for doing so in creative workshops, I gathered my findings together and wrote SUPERFLOW. Again, everyone is born with the gift of creativity, and sometimes that innate talent gets dimmed by one’s personal human predicament, or the ever present barriers to entry that can be found in the art world. I find that troubling, as art for me has sourced so much resilience and joy. The SUPERFLOW approach, was developed as a gateway in – to relaxing creative muscles, igniting the fires of self-expression, and seeing what beautiful looks like just or you – whether you crochet, sketch, cook, or play the violin.
My books are a lesser known aspect of my creative endeavors, reaching a far smaller audience. But, their pages represent my full picture. So I suppose that is why I treasure them most! That said, I specialize in punching out color in paint through my chromatic takes on universal elements. Perhaps this is the practice in which I most fluent and for which I am generally recognized.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I am still learning so much from that humbling chapter! I guess the experience continues to remind me of how very interconnected we all are, and how vital that human connection is to our health and well being. I rode out that COVID chapter here in Florida – several states removed from some aging relatives in New England. It was absolutely heartbreaking to witness their days so suspended in isolation and uncertainty. Their lives changed forever. The staggering number of human lives lost, and COVID’s devastating impact on our elderly population will always be with me.
During that time of COVID, I turned to my creative projects for resilience. And, in that space I wrote my SUPERFLOW book. Art to the rescue? Like everyone else, I guess I was just looking inward to see how I might be a lamp to someone, anyone out there whose lives were so badly detoured by this crisis.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.susancurriecreative.com
- Instagram: @susancurriecreative
Image Credits
All images by Susan Currie
