Contemplative Art

2012-01-08T14:59:00.001-07:00

"Clouds, Land & Light"

an exhibition of seven oil paintings

by Suzanne Frazier

January 2- 31, 2012

Vic's Coffee House

2680 North Broadway, Boulder, CO

Vic's Coffee House displaying two of Suzanne's larger oil paintings.

Vic's Coffee House Back Room

I will be at Vic's on Friday, January 13 from 10 am to 11 am

to visit and share my enthusiasm for my work.

See you there!

P.S. I sold two paintings from this show.

2011-12-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Sending You Wishes

for

A Delightful, Creative, Expansive and Deep Holiday Season.

This is a special time of year

when the deep dark of night

punctuated by the twinkling lights of celebration.

May you be filled with joy and delight.

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Kawanzaa!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Order your 2012 Calendar now: Click Here

2011-09-27T15:47:00.001-06:00

2011 Longmont Studio Tour

For those of you who couldn't make it to my studio during the Longmont Studio Tour, here are photos of my studio all dressed up as a gallery instead of a working studio!

It was a beautiful weekend and I could keep my studio door open the entire time.

As you walked through the door on the right you saw this part of my studio.
On my easel is "Sun Dog Clouds"
with "Colorado Clouds" on the wall behind (top) and
"Sky Raga Reverie" (below).
On the floor is my eight foot painting, "Sky Raga #1 & #2".
It's on the floor because I don't have an eight foot wall in the studio
to hang it on.

Directly across from the door to my studio, I displayed my selection
of latest work from the summer. Many are plein air work that I
created on location in Boulder County.
(Top) "Cloud Pirouettes"
(Second Row, left to right) "Seaside Reverie", "Walden Pond", "Rocky View"
(Third Row, left side) "Spring Green" (Top) & "Cloud Reverie" (Bottom)
"Mellow Marsh" (Middle)
(Third Row, right side) "Waiting for Godot" (Top) and "Bike Night Full Moon" (Bottom)
(Fourth Row or Bottom Row) "Cape Cod" (in black and white)
I guess I should have made the rows straight.
One painting is missing. I sold it!

I also had cards, prints (framed and unframed) and my new 2012 Calendar for sale.

Preview Exhibition for the 2011 Longmont Studio Tour

2011-09-04T21:31:00.003-06:00

You are invited to join me
at the Artists Reception
on
Friday, September 9 from
6 - 9 pm
at
the Muse Gallery
356 Main Street
Longmont, CO.

I'm exhibiting my oil painting:
"Colorado Sunset" (12" x 12")

You can purchase my painting and
pick up a map for the 2011 Longmont Studio Tour.
I'm number #42 on the tour.

The tour is the last weekend in September (Sept 24 & 25), 11 am to 5 pm.

See you at the party!

Studio Photos of 2011 Prospect Artists Studio Tour

2011-07-06T11:43:00.001-06:00

For those of you who missed the 2011 Prospect Artists Studio Tour, here are photos of my studio turned into a "gallery" for the weekend event. A thank you to all my friends and students who stopped by during the weekend. Over a hundred people visited my studio.

On the left, a wall of framed prints of my "Cross" series.
On the right, a wall of miniature oil paintings.
On the table, more unframed prints of my work.

Here's a wall of my "blue" landscape paintings.
To the left, a wall of oil pastel landscape drawings.
On the easel, an unfinished oil painting.

This is the view as you walk through the door into my studio.
On the right, a selection of cards featuring my oil paintings and drawings.
On the back wall, (top), "Colorado Clouds" and (bottom) "Sky Raga Reverie".

Standing in front of my wall of miniature oil paintings.

2011 Prospect Artists Studio Tour

2011-06-08T09:27:00.003-06:00

The Prospect Artists Studio Tour begins on Saturday, June 25 through Sunday, June 26, Noon - 6pm.
I'm one of the participating artists. I've turned my working studio into a gallery, displaying all my recent work, as well as cards and prints for sale. Plan to stop by to see me!

"Sky Ragas" - Solo Exhibition at the Old Firehouse Gallery

2011-05-17T10:20:00.006-06:00

Here are the photos of my solo show

in the Members Gallery at the Old Firehouse Art Center in Longmont, Colorado.

The exhibition is on display until June 17.

Left: Sky Raga Sunrise #2, 36" x 12"

Center: Sky Raga #1 & #2, each 24" x 48"

Sky Raga Reverie, 36" x 36"

Top: Colorado Clouds, 24" x 36"

Right: Sky Raga Sunrise #1, 36" x 12"

Left: Sky Raga Sunrise #1, 36" x 12"

Top Center: Yugen, 24" x 72"

The Old Firehouse Art Center is open

Tuesday-Friday, 11 am - 5 pm

Saturdays, 10 am to 2 pm

Old Firehouse Art Center, Fourth & Coffman, Longmont, CO

www.firehouseart.org

Here is the artist statement for the exhibition:

Golden sunlight skips along the clouds singing songs of joy and the blue sky delightfully embraces the dance.

Within the three groupings of oil paintings, Suzanne shares her contemplation of clouds, sunlight and sky; and invites the viewer to look above the trees, around the corners of buildings and over the highways to the magnificent world above us.

“Raga” is a Sanskrit word implying “color, hue, beauty, melody”. In musical terms, it implies “a melodic framework for composition and improvisation”. Suzanne’s golden clouds dance in the sky and sing songs of joy—a true raga.

Quentin Young, Longmont Times-Call , describes Suzanne’s work as, “The paintings sometimes have the look of a Rothko color field painting. Suzanne’s goal is not to depict a scene. It’s to depict her contemplation of a scene.”

Sky Ragas Solo Show at the Old Firehouse Gallery

2011-05-17T10:08:00.000-06:00

I hung the show on Tuesday with the help of two friends, Annette Coleman and Mike Reynolds. And, then, we went out to lunch! Here are some photos of the process.

Annette Coleman (left) and I are making sure are measurements are right.

Behind us a triptych: "Sky Raga Reverie"

Mike Reynolds (left) and I are making the final adjustment to the canvas placement.

Behind us a diptych: "Sky Ragas"

(See the post below for a complete photo of the painting.)

Gallery Manager, Paul Peacock, completing the final touches to the show.

I'm done. Now off to lunch!

Behind me on the left: "Sky Raga Sunrise #1"

(Number #2 is on another wall.)

Hope to see you are the opening on Friday, May 13, 2011 from 6 - 9 pm.

Old Firehouse Art Center, 667 Fourth Ave & Coffman, Longmont, CO 80501

(Just look for the original Longmont firehouse that has been converted to an art center.)

www.firehouseart.org

New Painting: "Sky Raga"

2011-04-15T16:30:00.001-06:00

I am working on an eight foot painting and I thought I would share my process with you.

This painting, along with other paintings,
will be exhibited at a solo show at the Old Firehouse Gallery

that opens on Friday, May 13, 2011.

This painting consists of two four foot canvases
that will be hung next to each other to make an eight foot painting.

There is a wall at the Old Firehouse Gallery that will accommodate a painting this long.

I decided to paint it on the two canvases so the final painting will fit into my Subaru or

otherwise I would have to rent a truck to transport it to the gallery.

It's January 26, 2011
and after a few days of painting, here is the result of my first painting sessions

where I am blocking in colors and establishing the compositional elements:

After a few more days of painting,
here is the result of my second painting sessions

where I am creating dark and light areas and

refining my composition:

Here is the results of my third painting sessions

where I am beginning to work in the details

after resolving the compositional elements:

This is my fourth painting session, where I am increasing the detail

and refining the colors.

This is my fifth painting session, where I am working out the details of the painting.
See the diagonal line of color that is moving from lower left to upper right.
That is my area of concentration for this session.
....There's still more to paint!

This is my sixth painting session.

Now I am beginning to fine tune the painting and work through to the final touches.

Defining areas, editing and coordinating the pallet is in process right now.

So there will be longer breaks between posting images, since it take a lot of "looking"

at the canvas and spending time with the work before I make changes.

And the changes from this point on will be minor but will affect the entire painting.

I would say that I am about 2/3 towards finishing.

Now I am in the process of fine tuning the painting.

This process takes longer than the initial first steps, since I spend a lot of time sitting

looking at the painting and making small marks here and there.

Here I have refined the diagonal line of clouds and painted over the initial design

to create better "brush work" making the painting look more finished.

I also lighted up the left hand corner. I was just too dark.

I'm almost to the finish.

It will just take a little more time and a lot of looking!

It's April 15, 2011 and I have finished the painting.

As you can see, I refined a few more details that

unified the painting.

I am ready to exhibit it at the Old Firehouse Gallery, in Longmont, CO,

with an opening reception on Friday, May 13, 6 - 9 pm.

You are invited!

If you miss the opening party, the exhibition will be on display until June 4, 2011

(PS. It's for sale!)

Pecka Kucka Presentation

2011-02-17T09:39:00.006-07:00

On Friday, February 11, 2011, I presented a talk on "Contemplative Art"
at a Pecka Kucka event at the Old Firehouse Gallery in Longmont, CO.
I had a great time, talking to a standing-room-only crowd at the gallery.
So what is a Pecka Kucka? "Pecka Kucka" means "chit chat" in Japanese and it is a unique presentation format that has taken off around the world, as presenters delve into their personal lives to explore how they can creatively portray their passion about a subject in 20 images presented in 6 minutes and 40 seconds. Longmont is one of 378 cities around the world participating in this event.
Of course, my subject was "Contemplative Art".
And I was one of ten people who were the presenters at the first Longmont Pecka Kucka event.
Here are two photos:

Standing-Room-Only Crowd

Giving the Presentation

Here's the video from the event:

Photos of the Artist Reception for "Radiant Reflections"

2010-11-15T19:26:00.011-07:00

Here are photos of the Artists Opening Reception at the Muse Gallery for

"Radiant Reflections".

Below is a photo of Angelo Ambrosia (Glass Artist)

and Suzanne Frazier (Landscape Painter).

Here is the front display window of the Muse Gallery

featuring my paintings and Angelo's glass sculptures.

Here is the exhibition.

Click Here: To see Detailed Images of the Paintings

http://www.suzannefrazier.com/fineartopland.html

Radiant Reflections: Artists Reception Friday, November 12 6-9 pm

2010-11-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Radiant Reflections

Angelo Ambrosia’s original glass art inspired by the ethereal paintings of Suzanne Frazier.

Radiant Reflections brings together the work of 2 artists, combines them and creates a new collaborative body of art. Suzanne Frazier’s oil paintings will be displayed on the walls with Angelo Ambrosia’s glass sculptures juxtaposed in front of each painting. The combination creates a flow of energy that transports the viewer to a peaceful place. Suzanne Frazier’s contemplative paintings capture the radiant reflections of the clouds and sunlight. Angelo’s sculptures were created from his inspiration from Suzanne’s paintings. While the work was created by two different artists, working in two different studios, together they achieve a symbiotic collection of art. Suzanne described the reflection aspect of the exhibition as two-fold – the art itself depicts reflection of light and the two artists have become a reflection of each other.

Artists Reception Friday, November 12 6 - 9 pm
Muse Gallery, 356 Main Street, Longmont, CO 80502

Show dates: 11/13/10-12/23/10

"Early Morning Shower"

2010-11-09T12:10:00.002-07:00

“All artists are of necessity in some measure contemplative."

Evelyn Underhill

"Early Morning Shower"

oil painting 24" x 36"

"Full Moon Ocean Dance"

2010-11-08T09:58:00.002-07:00

“Every art has its mystery, its spiritual rhythm.”

D. T. Suzuki

"Full Moon Ocean Dance"

oil painting 24 x 36"

"Sun Dog Clouds"

2010-11-07T12:02:00.001-07:00

“The word, art, implies that you go beyond something real.”

Milton Resnick

"Sun Dog Clouds"

oil painting 24" x 36"

"Colorado Clouds"

2010-11-06T13:28:00.001-06:00

“I do not know myself how I paint it.

I sit down with a white board before the spot that strikes me.

I look at what is before my eyes, and say to myself,
that white board must become something."

Vincent Van Gogh

"Colorado Clouds"

oil painting 24" x 36"

"Moonlight Reverie"

2010-11-05T13:53:00.011-06:00

"One eye looks within, the other eye looks without."

Henri Cartier-Bresson

"Moonlight Reverie"

oil painting 12" x 36"

"Full Moon Over San Luis Lakes"

2010-11-04T14:00:00.013-06:00

"The artist never entirely knows.

We guess.

We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark."

Agnes de Mille

"Full Moon Over San Luis Lakes"

oil painting 12" x 36"

"Cherry Blossom Morning"

2010-11-03T14:10:00.000-06:00

"Art is something like a good armchair in which to rest from physical fatigue.”

Henri Matisse

"Cherry Blossom Morning"

oil painting 12" x 36"

"Behold! Boulder!"

2010-11-02T14:22:00.000-06:00

"He unfolds as a painter that which has not yet been said.

He translates it into absolute terms of painting--

something other than reality."

Paul Cezanne

"Behold! Boulder!"

oil painting 12" x 36"

"Seaside Sunrise"

2010-11-01T14:29:00.009-06:00

“The creative process, like a spiritual journey, is intuitive, non-linear and experiential.

It points us toward our essential nature,

which is a reflection of the boundless creativity of the universe.”

John Daido Loori

"Seaside Sunrise"

oil painting 15" x 30"

"Grasslands Sunrise"

2010-10-28T13:45:00.012-06:00

"Light is a thing that cannot be reproduced,
but must be represented by something else – by color."

Paul Cezanne

"Grasslands Sunrise"

oil painting 24" x 48"

"Atlantic Sunrise"

2010-10-27T13:59:00.012-06:00

“The spiritual life,

to which art belongs and of which she is one of the mightiest elements,

is a complicated but definite and easily definable movement forwards and upwards.

This movement is the movement of experience.”
Kandinsky

Atlantic Sunrise

oil painting 24" x 48"

"Hot Summer Sunrise"

2010-10-26T15:35:00.002-06:00

"The Artist is someone with an overheated brain." Milton Resnick

"Hot Summer Sunrise"

oil painting 12" x 24"
(sold)

Artist Statement

2010-10-25T14:39:00.001-06:00

Artist Statement
Suzanne Frazier

Presenting the presence of the numinous is the purpose of my work.

I paint the beauty of what cannot be named but only can be pointed to through observation of the mystery and majesty of this world.

As Rudolph Otto observed, our response to the numinous is unique and one of fascination.

He believed that every person on the planet has the capacity to perceive the numinous,

however, it must be received into consciousness; it cannot be taught.

The work whispers into the viewer’s consciousness to remember the numinous.

The response to the whisper of the colors on the canvas usually is a sense of peace.

My contemplative approach to oil painting centers around sunrises and sunsets, when, as the mystics say, there is a crack in the sky between heaven and earth. It is a special time of day when one feels awe and beauty. The numinous is present.

My work provides a space to share the contemplation, or as Plato spoke about, the primordial truth.

Purpose of my Art

2010-10-23T08:27:00.010-06:00

"Yugen" (Eternal Potential)

oil painting 24" x 60"

With each painting, I give the viewer a moment to take a deep breath and remember
what has been forgotten in the busy lifestyle that pervades the American culture.

My paintings are a reminder to look around the buildings and through the trees to the sky with the majestic colors.

Philosophy of Life

2010-10-22T07:41:00.000-06:00

"Time is not a field
to be measured in rods
nor a sea
to be measured in miles
it is a heart beat"
Kazantzakis

This is my philosophy on life which I have held since college.
Our hearts are connected to the spirit within us and with each other.
The beating of our hearts together is why we exist on this planet.
Everything else supports our gentle, loving connection.
Listen to your heart beat today.

2010-10-20T21:31:00.003-06:00

What is Contemplative Art?

The product of creative expression
arising
out of the pure joy of creating,
grounded in a contemplative connection
to the "radiance and perfection" of spirit,
known only through one's experience of
being
fully human.

This is a definition that I decided upon after years of reading about the contemplative process from may points of views and spiritual groundings. It is my experience of making contemplative art.