Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Suzanne Edmonson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Suzanne, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have always loved expressing myself through art. After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in college, I worked as an assistant to an illustrator. I saw first hand that one could work as an artist professionally while making a living. Soon after that I was hired as an Art Director by the top ad agency in Dallas. It was an incredibly imaginative business and a perfect outlet for my creativity. During my advertising career, I oversaw the creative artwork aspects for campaigns with major agencies, clients and businesses, but I never stopped painting.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a California based artist and a native of Texas. My interest in art was sparked at an early age and I started taking art & painting lessons to unleash my creativity on canvas.  My early work was recognized and led to several art honors in high school.  I continued to study art in college at the University of Texas at Arlington, where I earned a BFA, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas.  My art education and expertise led me to a professional and successful career in advertising as an Art Director where my artistic sensibilities and vision were critical to creating ad campaigns for major brands.

During my advertising career, I never abandoned my love of painting and always found time to create, finding inspiration in the art of Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol & Jasper Johns.  Their visions of ordinary things, scenes, etc. in life were transformed into extraordinary works of art and my work reflects that inspiration as it looks at objects, scenes, and animals, and gives them an important statement in life, sometimes with just a whirl of whimsy. I use bright colors, floating objects and a flight of the imagination to capture the personalities of sweet creatures in both oils and acrylics, combining visuals to create a captivating composition.

I especially love animals.  They are important to me in my everyday life and my goal is to communicate their essence to the viewer.  I paint them in a realistic style, but I really focus on capturing their eyes looking back at you. It’s been said that the eyes are a window to the soul so I capture their eyes in a way that reveals their personality.

I use bold colors, floating objects and a flight of the imagination to capture the essence or personality of the subject matter. I love adding human elements like a fancy dress, crown, or suit and tie, that makes their personality sing in a way so they almost seem human (because so many of them, like my own pets, think they are.)

One of my favorite stories is when I contacted a client to thank him for purchasing a painting of mine, he responded that he always smiles when he looks at my work. My response was that I was glad, and that I successfully did my job.

I’ve been told that my work is compelling. Whatever the subject matter, it has that depth and complexity even in the simplest of subjects. I am thankful for that.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are too many rewarding benefits to being an Artist and a creative to mention. It is an amazing gift and there are so many wonderful aspects of it. It is definitely a fulfillment, a satisfaction in my life to see and create something new and different. It is an expression and depth of my inner most being. And being able to put that expression on canvas, paper or any surface is very rewarding.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I think that being an artist is the very picture of resilience. Not only in life with its disappointments but also in the work itself. I photographed a Studebaker car in a neighborhood parking lot & decided to paint part of its image on canvas. This was quite the challenge with highlights and chrome. I finally had to put it away as it seemed too difficult at the time. A couple of years later I “discovered” the unfinished piece. So I decided to painstakingly pick up my brushes and proceed. Once I got over the large hump of tediously painting certain areas that just took patience, I actually started enjoying the flow of accomplishing things that I had never tried before. That is art!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.suzanneedmonson.com
• Instagram: suzart3
• Facebook: Suzanne Edmonson
• Linkedin: Suzanne Edmonson
• Twitter: @suzart3