Behind the Scenes with Susan Abell

(Blog Repost)

Fall is my all time, most favorite season. Whether it is the changing leaves, the crispness in the morning air, the beginning of the football season, or the approaching holidays that seem to immediately follow Halloween, a new excitement emerges at this time of year.

Where the Falls End l Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia

Living in a college town does tend to fuel that anticipation, although like many people, just catching a glimpse of that changing leaf color is an appeal of another kind. Just seeing trees in all their splendor motivates to me to want to capture some of those those vivid hues on canvas. For me, the best autumn inspiration includes a trip to the mountains of northern Georgia. A number of stops are often key along this adventure throughout the Appalachian foothills. I would be remiss to describe only few sites, so instead I have decided to instead list my top ten "must sees" for north Georgia, although there are certainly more than ten. Traveling from east to west along scenic vistas, small towns nestled among the foothills, these sites offer travelers year round recreational opportunities and a restful serenity for the soul while reconnecting with nature. So here goes for my personal, not-to-miss sights for a day or weekend trip in my native state, although this  barely scratches the surface of all there is do and see. More adventures  await.

1. Tallalulah Falls- recreational opportunities abound in & around Tallulah Gorge State Park
2. Clayton-  U.S. 441 Heritage Highway passes right through the scenic town along 'wild and scenic' Chattooga River, known for whitewater rafting
3. Dillard-at the top of northeast Georgia, outdoor  recreation abounds  and country cooking at the famed Dillard House offers a bounteous home-style spread
4. Hiawassee-the Georgia Mountain Fair each summer and concerts year-round. Local art can be found at the ArtWorks Artisan Centre, great hiking
5. Young Harris- breathtaking views from Georgia's highest peak
6. Helen-picturesque Bavaria village, annual Oktoberfest, unique shops, dining , & recreation
7. Dahlonega- visit the gold museum-site of first gold rush in America on the square surrounded by shops and restaurants, inviting wineries nearby.
8. Blue Ridge-vineyard, thriving arts community, quaint shops, dining along downtown streets
9. Ellijay- Georgia's apple capital-known for the apple orchards
10. Amicalola Falls-the scenery and hiking trails alone make this one of Georgia's most popular state parks, add in the lodge and Hike Inn at the top of the falls make this an experience not to miss. Visitors have choices on how to best view the tumbling waters, ranging from an accessible pathway.North Georgia Mountains

Within each of these hamlets are some of my favorite stops, including the apple orchards in Ellijay, shops and art galleries in Blue Ridge, breathtaking views of Amicalola Falls, delightful restaurants, winding trails, as well the wineries that dot the landscape throughout North Georgia. While leaning  precariously against the railing to snap a photo atop Amicalola Falls  and gazing  out at the  valley below,  I knew this little inspirational trip had  not disappointed. The name Amicalola comes from the Cherokee word for "tumbling waters". Aptly named for the highest cascading waterfalls in the Southeast at 729 feet. What an exhilarating sight to witness! Armed with renewed inspiration, my recent watercolor series resulted from a simple day trip to the mountains. 

Mountains are often referenced as a milestone or obstacle to overcome, a metaphor for life. I like to view my paintings as a expressions of renewal of purpose, a hope that provides the impetus to propel us forward or to foster renewed creative expression. One can't simply stand on a mountain top or atop a waterfall without feeling a sense of awe and oneness with our Creator after all.  Inspiring to say the least!

However, I think John Muir very simply said it best.......

What is your favorite renewal and inspiration place? I'd love to hear about the place that inspires your creative thought and work.

                                                                                 Dawn sent shimmering rays over the placid ocean...

Sunrise photo inspiration by Susan Abell 2017

What inspires you? Take a moment and really think about it.

If I phrase the question differently...is there a certain time and place that inspires you?

For many people, an early morning beach sunrise fits the bill.  If that is your most inspiring place, what captures your attention first when you witness such. If you have happened to have seen any of my other artworks, you would have noted a repeated sunrise theme.  

Many are coastal, some are urban.

Sunrises are fairly universally accepted as "beach themed" art. While I did not deliberately seek to choose art subject matter based on assumed popularity, I did choose sunrises as focal points for their appeal quality.

I paint sunrises for a number of reasons. The observance of a brilliant sunrise offers hope, expectancy, and the promise of a new day. The slate is wiped clean and you get to begin again. Most importantly, a sunrise is reassurance that we are not in this alone whatever the current circumstances.

Life will go on-perhaps better than before! Simply put, as the sun rises, so should your hope. It might sound a bit trite, but I do endeavor to offer a hopeful message through my artwork.

                                                                                             Sunrise of Hope by Susan Abell 2017

The featured painting could be considered an amalgamation of a several sunrise reference photos. While the sun is definitely the focal point, I wanted to include the slight pink tinge in the water to direct your eye back into the painting. I liked the way the shadows were casting a grayish-purple shadow on the beach as you sense the sun's rays gradually moving toward you. Something of a metaphor I would suppose.

Many layers were required to achieve the shadowy, textured effect. My two favorite tools in this instance are acrylic medium and palette knives. The medium is akin to spackle in that it provides a smooth surface to apply paint or even to mix with acrylic paint and inks. Applied with subsequent shorter strokes, the rougher sand appearance was developed. After daily drying periods, additional paint was added to the areas needing more highlights or shadow. A final layer of clear varnish was brushed on to preserve the painting.  Unlike an actual sunrise, this sunrise painting will endure for sometime to come!

What is your favorite place to watch the sun rise?

Coasting Along

Do you have a favorite vacation place? One that you immediately felt a connection to and still holds such an allure for you even after many years?

For me, I have long been drawn to Georgia's coast, known as the Golden Isles.

In this area, halfway between Savannah and Jacksonsville, are the barrier islands of Jekyll Island, Sea Island, Saint Simons Island, and Little St. Simons Island, and the city of Brunswick. If you are a Georgia resident or occasional vacation visitor, no doubt you are familiar with all the treasures offered here. If you haven't been, check out this link to see why you need to go!

 http://www.goldenisles.com/

Over many years, I have cultivated fond memories of this area-ranging from family vacations, field trips when I was a teacher, and renewal/art inspiration trips with my husband. I hope you will be inspired to create some new memories of your own soon when visiting a new or familiar vacation spot.

For several months, I worked on a series of landscape paintings I refer to as my Jekyll Island series. Early on, when I had decided to give my full artwork focus to landscape painting, I knew that capturing the varied topography of Georgia's regions would be paramount. In my former life as an elementary educator, one of my favorite units of study emphasized the regions of Georgia. It was often amazing for students to learn that Georgia not only is home to a thriving coastline, complete with barrier islands, but also has mountains, flat plain areas, and a Piedmont region. Surprisingly, as I often discovered, many students had not had the opportunity to explore these regions. I saw this as a golden opportunity to not only engage and educate my students in as many ways as possible, but to also inspire them. Similarly, I wanted to create a series of paintings to engage viewers, educate, motivate and inspire my viewers. By alternating between the mediums of acrylic and watercolor, I could more readily convey my sense of Jekyll Island and evoke a similar response in a potential viewer.
I was inspired on this particular trip to create a visual travelogue of a very familiar place in order to capture the essence of the island and perhaps evoke pleasant memories for others. From family vacations to extended field trips with my former students, Jekyll Island holds many pleasant memories tied to the coastal experience. My husband and I took this reunion trip of sorts to relive some of what only Georgia's coast offers and maybe find new experiences along the way. Join me on this journey to the coast of Georgia.
Jekyll Island on the coast of Georgia is a barrier island bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. While the smallest of the group of islands known as the Golden Isles, Jekyll is known for its diverse history, reaching back to Georgia's earliest days.The unique wildlife experiences and outdoor reality seem to still beckon others like me. The island's centerpoint, the historic Jekyll Island Club Hotel, a 19th-century winter retreat for the wealthy, is still a major attraction as it was for such notables as the Rockefeller, Goodyear, and Vanderbilt families. It seems many others since have developed an affinity for this special place as well.
Although it had been several years since I had visited the island, upon crossing the bridge to the island, I was immediately flooded with memories. Salty sea air, seagulls calling overhead, waves gently lapping against the shore, and Spanish moss gently swaying from the live oak trees are just few of the sights and sounds that I was met with upon once again entering this island retreat. Named for Georgia poet Sidney Lanier, the Sidney Lanier Bridge, a suspension bridge, provided a clear vantage point to the stunning surrounding marshes, made famous by Lanier's poem, Marshes of Glynn. From slipping and sliding through the muddy marsh with my students, examining the slimy collections in our buckets, bike riding with my family, exploring the maritime forest, or observing a rescued sea turtle, the "Jekyll Island experience" cemented rich memories and an appreciation for this preserved jewel of Georgia. During our stay on the island, we explored the beach, rode bikes around the island, and took in some amazing scenery, while enjoying our stay at the famed Jekyll Island Club Hotel and its surroundings. Jekyll certainly did not disappoint on this trip!
If I had to pick a favorite scene, I would likely choose the marsh. I had observed and photographed the marsh in varying times of day and found the light and contrasting colors most compelling. Although the photos I took often had to be edited to adjust the color saturation, it was exciting to recreate the scenery and transform a blank canvas. Many times adjustments needed to be considered when painting the water reflections as well. Some scenes seem to require watercolor to achieve a softer,impressionism effect, while others were better suited to acrylic applied with a palette knife and multiple layers. As any painter knows, this type of setting can only provide opportunities for inspiration when your senses are awakened. I hope you have either made some connections here or feel compelled to create your own. What is your most inspiring place?

As a former educator, I have spent countless hours behind a computer writing. Whether it was for writing instruction, writing papers in graduate school, or simply drafting newsletters to parents, I have done my fair share of writing. However, my goal of this blog is not to inundate my readers with what I may view as mundane or to overwhelm you with my advice, but to hopefully offer a way to connect. As being relatively new to the business of art, as well as writing about it, I will endeavor to perhaps offer my take as one who is pursuing this venture as a second career in this "new phase in my life", also known as retirement. Anything I may impart has come the hard way (life experience!) and reliance on the wisdom of a host of invaluable art marketing experts. Like in my former teaching days, I will strive to engage and inspire. The latter remains to be seen however. My motto-never take yourself too seriously and maintain a sense of humor certainly helps.

Like many people, I think always knew I was meant to make art. I have always been intrigued by all things creative. While I did not pursue a background in fine art as a field of study or career choice for myriad reasons, I often utilized my artistic skills in the classroom. Needless to say, like many creatives I have delved into lots of projects and pursuits during my life! Being creative was always a plus as a teacher as I often included hands-on opportunities to enhance the learning. I just didn't realize it would take some thirty years of being a elementary teacher when my three children were grown before I would pursue my own interests. I feel blessed that I am now able to work on the business of art with the complete support of family. Being rather creative in varying ways, they tend to understand my need to create artwork. After all, I was the mom who always included the kids in my massive holiday baking activities and encouraged all types of creative pursuits!

When I consider my vision for my work and what motivates me, there is always this common thread of nature. Like many artists, I see more subjects on an average day that I would like to capture in a painting than I can possibly get to. For me, part of this new journey has been to narrow down what it is I want to create most and put all my efforts into it.
As a child growing up in Northwest Georgia, I had two favorite activities-drawing and playing outside. In my artwork, there is the common nature theme that takes me back, ranging from flower picking in the country with my grandmother to horseback riding with friends. I primarily see myself as an landscape painter, but I see do that tendency evolving. As a young teen, I was enthralled by the French Impressionists and, in particular, Claude Monet, during a visit to the Louvre. Impressionism left its impression on me in many ways; the contrasts in light and color conveyed on canvas were compelling to say the least. Nowadays, I enjoy experimenting with more abstract landscape painting and varying the color combinations. Alas, just like nature, my art is ever-changing as the outcome can often inspire, amaze, and surprise us.