Can one ride a bike through a puddle, cannon-ball off a dock, or toe-dance on a mountain top? Sure, I am very serious about having fun with my art. While the recognizable imagery appeals to us, I am obviously not painting beauty or perfection, but our experiences. How does it feel to be free where gravity holds little sway and color can be arbitrary?
Fun and freedom are part of Susan Webb Tregay’s painting process from the very first strokes of color. The Impressionist’s objective was to lay colors next to each other and allow them to mix in the viewer’s mind. This technique is utilized in Susan’s rich and dazzling surfaces of her work. Susan’s current series Free-Range Children Series are colorful, contemporary paintings for adult children.
About the artist
Beginning her art career in watercolor 30 years ago, Susan Webb Tregay learned painting composition from many of the best national teachers. Content, putting yourself in your paintings, gradually emerged in her work through her contact with the University of Buffalo and its graduates.
After writing her book, Master Disaster: Five Ways to Rescue Desperate Watercolors [North Light Publishers, 2007], she wanted to paint larger in order to explore complex content. So Tregay put watercolor aside and started her current series, “Once Upon a Time There Were Free-Range Children,” in acrylics on canvas, after observing some happily, free-range chickens in downtown Hendersonville, NC.
Tregay is a nationally recognized, award winning artist and exhibition juror. Thirty-nine corporations and museums have her paintings in their collections. She is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, and the Watercolor USA Honor Society, and teaches workshops around the country. In addition to her book, Tregay is the author many articles, was art critic for the Rock River Times for four years.
Additional resources
- Flickr – Installation images
- Susan Webb Tregay – Official Website