We were lucky to catch up with Suzanne Barton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Suzanne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
I do not consider what I do as a “career” choice. I am just fortunate enough to follow my passion. It’s just the way I move through this life. I feel everything has unfolded as it should. All I needed to do was “pay attention” and “step out of my comfort zone” to continue to grow and move forward.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, I got the proverbial “sand “ in my shoes, moved to South Florida at age 20, and realized my affinity for being near water. I had a childhood passion for photography, and although self-taught , I drew the attention of Willie L. Hill Jr, who mentored me in the art and became my teacher, friend, and critic, remaining a steadfast supporter. I started a successful photography career in 1985. In 2015, a local gallery owner asked if I ever produced underwater images. I accepted the challenge, starting experimenting and fell in love with the medium. That same year Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines commissioned two pieces of my Underwater Fine Art for their ship “Harmony of the Seas”. The pieces are a permanent part of their onboard International Art Collection. I have been in over 120 juried, invitational and solo exhibits, featured in 20 publications, and represented in galleries located in Florida, South Carolina and Ohio. My Tiny Dancer Series is infused on metal with hand poured resin. This makes them impervious to moisture making them suitable for all environments particularly marine, spa, and all coastal living. The Mythical Maiden Series (mermaids and such) is committed to gallery canvas with alcohol ink and acrylics added to the backgrounds. The whimsical Storybook Series includes characters such as, Aquaman, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter, Little Red Riding Hood, and Dorothy,( Wizard of OZ) with more in the making. All of the images are shot underwater with artistic touches added to bring the images to life. I create art for galleries and do commission work as well.
As an artist, my expression is found in unique combinations of color and form . As a Healing Touch Practitioner, I am inspired by the energy of color and form and create art by following this energy. The use of color and form affects our psychology and therefore our physiology. Art is Healing. The secret language of these energies can heal your emotions, heal your body, and give you insights, all while igniting your creativity and transforming your life.
I capture timeless images of ephemeral moments, that in and of themselves create a lasting emotional resonance. My work has been described as elegant, ethereal, and “other worldly”. I have taken underwater photography to a new level. My style of art can be best described in an original poem, a friend wrote describing me:
Aqua Vitae
In, around, through,
sensation suspended in
the essence o f life,
where art and artist blur and merge,
until it is simply impossible,
utterly undesirable,
to determine where one begins
or the other ends
in a world so ancient that
ever retains genesis
as I float and dance,
twist and turn
with no thought
to what comes next,
lost in the moment, found in the next
(RJ Durborow)
I hope my art brings joy to your senses and leaves you transformed as well!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
After a twenty one year career in Dental Hygiene while doing photography on the side, , I developed Carpal Tunnel in 1993, and had to quit. This allowed me to devote 100% of my time to my childhood passion, photography. I enjoyed a very successful photography business for 30 years. Then in 2015, a gallery owner challenged me to produce Underwater Art. Underwater Photography is completely different from what I knew how to do, but as one ever ready to” take a challenge” and “step out of my comfort zone”, I started experimenting and fell in love with the medium. My first foray into the depth and serenity of this underwater world, spawned my “Tiny Dancer” Underwater Fine Art Series.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The grace and fluidity of movement, the soothing, serenity beneath the surface, along with the weightless suspension, as my subject floats to the surface, leaves me transformed. Following the energy,I capture what it leads me to, as I will never see or create another image in exactly the same way again. It is spontaneous and original. In these moments of “connectedness, I can feel myself “shift”- Lost in the moment-Found in the next. The experience is rewarding to me. When I observe someone viewing my art, I can see a “shift ” in them as well, leaving them transformed in some way. That is even a bigger reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.suzannebarton.com www.UnderwaterFineArt.com
- Instagram: @Suzannebartonfineart
- Facebook: Suzanne Barton Photography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-barton-82a1547/