Susan Greenstein

STATEMENT

Painting with watercolors, in the moment and on-site, is essential to my work. My watercolors are a visual diary of the cityscapes, street views, intimate vistas and cozy interiors that I frequent. Though the subjects vary, they all have the connection that is found in stonework, flowers, rooflines, windows, cafe tables. I may seek out a local urban setting, such as a garden in Greenwich Village, or a twisting cobblestone street in a small town in Tuscany because I find that more exciting than iconic landmarks.

 

When painting outdoors, I become immersed in the life of the location itself. Honking cars, the sun and wind on my face, snippets of conversation—all become woven into my work. Plein air watercolor painting is distinguished by the challenge to capture the light and essence of a location within a few hours of time. Traveling with an efficient, portable studio makes that an easier goal. I rely on keen observational skills and jump directly into paint on paper without any preliminary sketching of the subject. Loose and fluid brushstrokes are natural and gestural this way.

 

The tension between architectural structures and nature frequently find their way into my paintings. Contemporary landscape artists including Wolf Kahn, David Hockney and Lois Dodd and Elizabeth O’Reilly inspire me to approach painting in this expressive, intuitive manner.

 

BIO

Susan Greenstein is a graduate of Pratt Institute and Queens College, and has attended programs at Art New England, Bennington College and Maine College of Art’s Feed Your Soul.   Her work can be found in private collections across the US, and she has exhibited extensively in New York City, New Hampshire and Delaware Fine Arts Museum. She is a member-artist of 440 Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, As an art educator,

 

Susan has influenced and mentored many young artists at Brooklyn Friends School and Studio in a School. She presently teaches watercolor to adults at the Art Annex Brooklyn and teaches workshops at Washburn Studios in Saugerties NY. Susan lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

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susangreenstein.com

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