Painting of the Month- March 2024

It seems fitting that with the arrival of Spring I choose this month to highlight a painting from my Nest series.  Spring's Twosome is inspired by the bird's nest. 

Since my studio is located in the heart of Prince Edward County, Ontario, an area that boasts the highest concentration and abundance of migratory birds anywhere on the Canadian side of Lake Ontario, it is no wonder that birds and their habitats have made their way into my work.  To date over 337 species of birds are on record in the area.  I am fascinated with their avian architecture and these meticulously woven places of refuge.  

On my studio window I have an evergrowing collection of nests.  Some that I have found on my property others that have been gifted to me by neighbours and friends.

Mother's Day Offer

Order a custom nest commission for your Mother, this Mother’s Day!  
Orders must be placed by April 12 in order to receive your completed piece by May 12. (Mother's Day)
You choose the background colour and number of eggs.
Starting at $385.

Painting of the Month- FEBRUARY

The painting I have chosen for the month of February is 
' Stars Over Patchwork Barn'.

There is a barn up the road from me in rural Ontario that I pass often. I refer to it as the 'patchwork' barn.  I call it this because the barn looks like it has been kept together over the many years with patches of material.  I have painted this barn a few times now and never tire of its unique appearance, reminiscent of old patchwork quilts.  

36x48 in (37.5 x49.5 in framed)

Encaustic

Framed in solid walnut

$3500

This painting is currently on route to Elevation Gallery where it will be part of their new show group show NOCTALGIA- Guided by Stars we can no longer see.

In an era dominated by the ceaseless glow of artificial satellites, astronomers worldwide find themselves immersed in a profound sense of melancholy. The once-prominent stars that adorned our night skies are fading into obscurity, overshadowed by the relentless intrusion of man-made luminance. This diminishing celestial spectacle has given birth to a poignant term: "Noctalgia."

ELEVATION GALLERY CANMORE, ALBERTA
Opening February 17th 2024

ELEVATION GALLERY FERNIE, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Opening March 2nd 2024

.

Painting of the Month- DECEMBER

The painting I have chosen for the month of December is the
'Winter Visitor'.

He appears out of nowhere and is gone as fast as he arrives. His expression is curious about how you arrived in his winter wonderland. It makes you question, ‘Are you the visitor or him?’.

In this painting, the rabbit stands in the foreground close to the viewer with a direct gaze. The background is simple. The dark blue sky slowly makes its way to black, with a brightly shining moon and a blanket of pristine white snow, all depicted in the beautiful encaustic medium.

16x16 in (17.5x17.5 in framed)

Encaustic

Framed in solid walnut

$875 
(shipping can be arranged for an additional fee)

Painting of the Month- November

As the final days of Autumn come to an end, I relish in the colours of the season in this painting.  We all know that soon the ground will be covered in a blanket of snow and the palette of the landscape will change dramatically. 

This painting is part of the current show at Melt Studio and Gallery called DECAY, where myself and 27 other artists explore the beauty of decay.

Title : Autumn's Calling 48 in x 10 in   $1800

Show continues to November 26th.  
Hours Thursday through Sunday 11:00am - 5:00 pm.
 

Painting of the Month- September 2023

The painting below 'As the Tale Begins' is inspired by the classic fairy tale’ Little Red Riding Hood’ .  The painting depicts the small red figure of the young little red against a cold and desolate winter backdrop. The forest radiates to the left calling Little Red in so that she may begin her journey.

This painting will be on display with many others during the show 'Little Red' on now at Melt Studio and Gallery at Base31 in Picton.

This is a duo show with fellow artist Leisa Rich,  renowned textile artist hailing from nearby Howe Island.

Come see how we interpret this classical tale encompassing themes of fear and rebellion.  Of naivety and vengeance towards a celebration of wisdom, grace and triumph.

Follow us into the woods this Saturday September 23rd  during our opening reception  7-9 pm. 

Show continues to October 22nd.  Hours Thursday through Sunday 11:00am - 5:00 pm.

Paintings of the Month - May 2023

“Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”
-Orhan Panuk, My Name is Red

Dog lovers know a dog is not just a dog. They are our confidantes, our friends and the best listeners. They are our side kicks, our protectors and comedians. They ehnance our lives. Our homes and families are fuller because of them.

This series celebrates my love of the dog and how they are all so much more than “just a dog”.

MELT GALLERY: My combination studio + gallery that I run at Base31 in Picton re-opened for the season on May 12th. Drop by and check out my JUST A DOG series and hopefully catch me working on new work for my show opening in July called SHORELINES.

Painting of the Month- March 2023

"Striking Skies". 12 x 12 in, Encaustic, framed in solid walnut

This painting depicts the dramatic stormy skies that sweep across Canada's prairie provinces. On cross-country road trips to visit family out West, I am always struck by the beauty of these grain elevators that are so specific to these regions. People viewing these paintings often have very fond memories specific to these iconic structures. See this painting at my upcoming show at Elevation Gallery in Alberta!

Detail shots of "Striking Skies"

Painting of the Month- Februry 2023

"The Approach II". 36 x 36 in, Encaustic, framed in solid walnut, $2500.00

This painting depicts a beautiful winter's day in the County. As we find ourselves in the last full month of winter and prepare to welcome Spring, let's take one last moment to appreciate the beauty created by a blanket of snow. I love depicting the contrast between crisp white snow and the winter's blue sky.

Detailed close up of “The Approach”

Painting of the Month- January 2023

"Fire in the Sky". 20 x 16 in, Encaustic and watercolour, framed in solid walnut, $975.00

This fiery painting is currently on view at Towne Square Gallery in Oakville as part of my solo show currently on view. This painting is unique in that it was one of my first explorations into using both watercolour and encaustic in the same painting! This technique allows me to take my paintings outside and paint the base layer "en plein air".

www.townesquaregallery.com
 

Detailed close ups of Fire in the Sky

Painting of the Month- December 2022

"Light #5"  6x6  $285 in.  Framed in solid walnut
It is the season of lights!  

I love using the theme of ‘light’ in my work. These little match paintings are so much fun to make. They symbolize to me the light we can find during times of darkness. They each contain a real match embedded in the wax that I light once the painting is complete.  Currently I have 3 of these little paintings available in my shop online.

 Check out the lighting of these paintings here!

Painting of the Month-November 2022

"Impending" 42 x 42 in

The sounds of thunder and the slow decay of the sky is what I tried to capture in this piece. As the blue skies dissolve into dark purples and greys we can hear the rumbling of the thunder and the cool breeze upon our skin.

"Impending", is part of a show called DECAY that is currently on display at Melt Gallery. DECAY celebrates the poignant beauty found within the process of decomposition, rot, deterioration, and decline. Come see an exciting array of new work by over 30 Canadian artists, on until November 13. www.meltstudiogallery.com

Painting of the Month - October 2022

"Fire Hawk"
by Susan Wallis
12 x 12 in

For thousands of years, Australia’s Aboriginal people have sung stories about sacred “firehawks” — raptors that, according to lore, use fire to hunt. There are stories where raptors are reported to have snatched brands from Indigenous cooking fires and deposited them in grass up to half a kilometer away. The hawks do this to flush their prey out from the bush.

In this painting I tried to capture the moment of the hunt where the hawk is about to start a fire. This piece is on display till October 23rd at Melt Studio Gallery in the exhibit “Three Sisters, Three Artists, One Fire”.

To purchase this piece from my online shop please click here.

Painting of the Month-September

Night Fires 48x10 $1575

My new series of fire paintings explore both man-made fires and wild, naturally occurring forest fires. This series demonstrates the many faces of fire: it can be warm and comforting, or wild and devastating. It is also a force that is necessary for regrowth of certain plant species. A forest fire that has passed through an area makes way for pioneer species such as Birch and Poplar trees to emerge and begin their important role of providing shelter and a new habitat for incoming species to the ecosystem.

Other trees, such as Jack Pine, require heat and flame to open their cones and spread their seeds. While these are some benefits of controlled or natural forest fires, accidental forest fires often cause problems for these ecosystems. Prescribed burns can mimic the benefits of wildfires while avoiding the risks associated with larger, out of control fires.

My new series invites you to reflect on fire and its positives and negatives, allowing us to incorporate its cyclical and cleansing nature in our own lives. By observing fire in its natural processes, we can ensure that we are also nurturing our natural cycles of emotion, resting when we must rest, creating when we must create, and removing what no longer serves us.

- Susan Wallis

Close up detail

Close up detail

Painting of the Month- August

"Moon Fires" 72 x 24 in

Through a new series of work I am exploring the circle of fire that lights creativity, fuels continuity and transforms energy. I also acknowledge through this new work the power of fire when left unattended can rage, ravage and renew.

- Susan Wallis

Janice Brant, Nina-Marie Lister and myself will be working both separately and in collaboration to explore the theme of fire and the effect it has on our homes, our land, and our histories through an exhibit at Melt Gallery. The show will be a part of the Prince Edward County Studio Tour weekend and will run from September 30 - October 23rd.
We are thrilled to be receiving generous sponsorship from Base31 in order to bring this exhibit to the public. www.base31.ca

Melt Gallery located at Barrack 3 at Base31, 343 County Road 22, Picton, Ontario.

Painting of the Month-July 2022

"From a Distance" 24 x 72 in

"My horizon on humanity is enlarged by reading the writers of poems, seeing a painting, listening to some music, some opera, which has nothing at all to do with a volatile human condition or struggle or whatever."
-Wole Soyinka.

During these times of change and uncertainty, the importance of the arts is so crticial to the human soul. I take refuge in the time I spend creating and treasure those around me who also create through their medium of choice.

In this painting, "From a Distance" the horizon is a key element. I create depth by breaking up the horizon line. This draws the eye of viewer into the distance. What lies beyond? What does the future hold? Using a palette of soft blues and greens I hope to evoke a sence of peace. Peace with the present and with what the future may hold.

Painting of the Month- June 2022

"Summer Swim" 30 x 65 in

On the banks of East Lake where I live in Cherry Valley in Prince Edward County, Ontario I will often be graced by the arrival in the Spring by beautiful swans. These wondrous large birds float gracefully by in pairs.

We keep the banks on our property very natural which allows for the perfect setting for the swans to build their nests on our banks. I love sitting by the lake and watching them slowly drift across the lake as they dive for food. In this piece, I wanted to compare the vastness of the lake with the small size of the birds.

This work along with many other paintings are on display during my solo show LAND | WATER | SKY till July 10th at Melt Studio & Gallery.

Painting of the Month -May

"Changing Boundaries" 30 x 64 in

There are many boundaries on land. We are sometimes pushed on land by war to change these boundaries. Land boundaries also include the implementation of fences, seperating my land from yours.

The boundaries in our relationships also change. Some people respect the boundaries we lay out, some like to push these boundaries. Sometimes these pushed boundaries can lead to positive change and the relocation of those fences we create. Sometimes not and we end up reinforcing those exiting boundaries or build new fences.

In this piece I use a quiet palette and the fence as a metaphor for these boundaries of the land and of the mind. This painting is on display at Melt Studio and Gallery.

My solo show at Melt Gallery is approaching. Do drop by for a visit and see some of my new work.

Painting of the Month- April 2022

"Nature's Markings, 12" x 12" $485

With Spring comes the arrival of the bird's nest.  What a miraculous feat of avian architecture.  I am always amazed at the resourcefulness of the bird.  How it can take from the environment to build these places of refuge and yet leave  nature so seemingly  untouched. 
 The unique markings on the egg shell is made by pigments excreted by glands as the egg descends down the mother bird's oviduct.   The egg will end up speckled,  spotted or even have wavy lines.  These pigments dry on contact with air. When the egg is finally laid, the end result is a near-perfectly camouflaged egg.

This work along with others will be on display at Melt Studio and Gallery during the Renewal Show on till May 22nd.

Happy Spring Everyone! -Susan

Painting of the Month- March

HOPE for UKRAINE

Encaustic on wood framed in a solid walnut frame. Retail value $485 12”X12”

Raffle tickets $10 each or 3 for $25Like many people around the world, I am devastated by the atrocities being inflicted on the people of Ukraine. In response, encaustic artist, Susan Wallis is raffling off one of her Hope Nest paintings to support the Red Cross’ efforts along the borders between Poland and Ukraine.

"Birches Dancing by Firelight"

12" x 12" $485

I have commenced a new series of work around the theme of fire. "Birches Dancing by Firelight" is a part of my new fire series, which will be featured during the PEC Studio Tour this fall at Melt Gallery with artist and ecologist Nina-Marie Lister and Indigenous artist and teacher Janice Brant Kahehtoktha. 

The show is titled "Three Sisters, Three Artists, One Fire".
It invites viewers to explore an unfolding story and dance around the fire. Stay tuned to learn more about this exciting project over the coming months.

“My father was a Polish WWII veteran. I have seen firsthand the effects war can have on a family. My father was taken from his home on September 17th, 1939 when his hometown was invaded by the Soviets; inconsequently it was his 16th birthday. He, along with his parents and siblings, were sent to a prisoner of war camp in Siberia, Russia where his mother would later pass away. We have no childhood photos or memorabilia of his early life. 

As luck would have it, he reunited with his siblings in England after the war where they would later immigrate as a family to Canada in the late 1950s. The people of Poland and Ukraine share many similar customs, one of which is the painting of eggs for Easter celebrations. This tradition has lasted for thousands of years. ‘Pisanka’ in Polish or ‘Pysanka’ in Ukrainian symbolizes life, rebirth, and protection - a much welcome sentiment in these trying times.” 

— Susan Wallis (Susan Danuta Baran)

Book your PAUSE Nature + Art experience today.

Pause is a unique experience that encourages you to pause in nature. Learn to engage all your senses and embrace the beauty of nature. Culminating in bringing that beauty into a piece of art that you created under my guidance.

Painting of the Month- February 2022

I have been exploring the colour purple this month in my work. Light mauves to dark aubergines as seen in the sunsets over quiet lakes. Purple is said to both calm and stimulate our bodies, putting us in the right place for introspection and focused insight.

It fosters creativity by awakening our senses while promoting the quiet necessary to make intuitive, insightful observations. Purple creates a harmonious balance of awareness and peace. I'd like to think I have captured this in this quiet contemplative piece. -Susan