Thursday, July 29, 2010

Green Flash "Crude Awakening" Oil Spill Show on BILLABONG ART Blog

This Saturday at Green Flash Gallery, "Crude Awakening" Oil Spill Show, Drinks, Fun, Friends & thought provoking artworks. 5-10, 117 Chesterfield Drive, Cardiff (across from Patagonia)

Monday, July 26, 2010

* New Artworks to Debut on ABC's Emmy Winning Best Comedy, "Modern Family". Season 2 Premiere Wed. Sept. 22 at 9|7c on ABC

Susan Wickstrand's, "Sea Love" as it appeared in ABC's comedy, "Modern Family":

Look for these 2 artworks, "Ayung Pura" & "Net Fishing & Shucking" on the sets of ABC's, hit TV comedy, "Modern Family" this Fall. Thanks "Modern Family" for the repeat business, we love it and we LOVE your show! : ) You've got us watching.Congratulations on your most impressive 14 Emmy Nominations! We'll be cheering for you & for the amazingly talented, Amber Haley for set decor too, thanks Amber!
Look for the following artworks this Fall:
Susan Wickstrand, "Ayung Pura", 2010, 32" x 32", Print on Canvas
Susan Wickstrand, "Net Fishing & Shucking", 2010, Print on Canvas

Susan Wickstrand & Benny getting the job done.
Last season when, "Soul Surfer" hit the set of an episode, see above & below.Susan Wickstrand, "Soul Surfer"

One of my fave scenes shot in Costco from last season: "Cam, what is this place?...They sell baby formula and they sell coffins. You can literally buy everything from birth to death." - Mitch

Thursday, July 22, 2010

* Twilight looking fresh & clean in it's new LA home *

Original Oil painting, "Twilight" from "Blue Realm" exhibition, installed in it's new LA home : ) sweet. You can now buy Limited ed. Prints of this piece full scale; 5' h x 4' of the original or bigger (click here or on image for details). You can now also order any of my original oils as limited ed. prints at full scale or bigger than the original artworks thanks to modern technology.


The very talented & beautiful, Kelly Morris (second to right) of Barondes Morris Design, designed the room & custom decor around this painting for her LA client. Once in place it all sang together sweetly. Thanks Kelly & GM for the opportunity!

Monday, July 19, 2010

* Thanks to all who attended, "La Sirena" on Sat. the show runs til end of July!

Susan Wickstrand & Jeff Divine Collaborative Oil, Collage, and Encaustic, "ALOHA SUNN", 2010, 12" x 12"
Susan Wickstrand & Jeff Divine Collaborative Oil, Collage, and Encaustic, "UNDER BLUE MOON I SAW YOU, (Pua Pili Kai, beachside blossom), 16" x 20"
Susan Wickstrand & Jeff Divine Collaborative Oil, Collage, and Encaustic, "3 SUNNS, HUI 'OLELO ME KUKU, (talking with Grandma), 2010, 18" x 18"
Susan Wickstrand & Jeff Divine Collaborative Oil, Collage, and Encaustic, "QUEEN'S CATCH", 16" x 20"
Susan Wickstrand & Jeff Divine Collaborative Oil, Collage, and Encaustic, "A QUEEN & A KING", 2010, 11" x 14"
Susan Wickstrand & Jeff Divine Collaborative Oil, Collage, and Encaustic, "LOVE IS LIKE THE OCEAN, KOHU MOANA", 12" x 12"
Installation shot of Susan Wickstrand's work currently on display at Green Flash Gallery.
Cruise by Green Flash Gallery & share in the stoke. Above are a few shots of some very special oil, collage & encaustic collaborative artwork I created with Jeff Divine on Rell Sunn just for the show. Enjoy.

Friday, July 16, 2010

John Severson Surround Sound at Waterman's Ball...

This shot was posted on Surfline from last weekend's Waterman's Ball. I donated lower left, "Sleeping on a Honeysuckle" Limited ed. Print (*Lopez image provided by James Cassimus) for the event. Happy to my artwork was in such fantastic John Severson & Greg Noll company and I didn't even have to get dressed up! Sweet. Thank you mystery installer, I owe you one : )

Thursday, July 15, 2010

A Divine Day...

Master Photographer, Jeff Divine & Artist Susan Wickstrand after we signed the Rell Sunn collaborative collages.
Jeff holding, "A King & A Queen"; Collaborative Collage with Divine/Wickstrand
Jeff Divine's autograph on back to seal the deal...
Jeff thumb stamp signing above a picture of him in the artwork, "A Queen's Catch", classic.
Jeff & Susan at The Surfer's Journal discussing the new Rell Sunn creations...
Jeff & Susan holding up, "A Queen's Catch" collaborative collage...

Some days magic happens. Today was such a day & I embrace it. I completed a series of collaborative collages with Jeff Divine for an upcoming show this Saturday. This a.m. as I packed up the car with the artworks to show the Master Photographer I was a bit nervous. What if he didn't like what I had created with his gorgeous images? Gulp. What if he refused to sign the artworks with me? What was I thinking to ask someone of his caliber to collaborate? These are the things going through my brain this a.m. However, things went great with Art Brewer so suck it up, face the fear and move on. Fortunately, to my delight Jeff was very pleased & I left stoked after showing the master my craft. Signatures & thumb stamps accomplished, now to wax all the artworks before Friday. All is well & I will slumber more sweetly this evening...enjoy a few snaps from my journey today at The Surfer's Journal...thank you Jeff & we thank you Rell Sunn for the amazing inspiration to many. Mahalos ~ Susan
* A special thank you to Jan Sunn-Carreira for meeting with me and discussing the images in advance of creating the artworks and help with translating text into Hawaiian for titles of artworks. Many Mahalos Jan you are a lovely lady inside & out.

Monday, July 12, 2010

All Women's Exhibition, "La Sirena/the Mermaid" Sat. July 17th, Green Flash Gallery, Cardiff, Sponsored by Roxy

Divine/Wickstrand Collaborative collage in the works above, "Queens Catch" (detail) above.
* SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK: Susan Wickstrand's collaborative work in progress with Jeff Divine; "3 Sunns, 'Hui 'olelo me Kuku' (talking with Grandma)". The two central images of Jan Sunn-Carreira (on left, Rell's only child) and Rell Sun (on the right in white sarong) were both shot by Jeff Divine while they were in Tahiti. Rell Sunn's granddaughter, Kamalani is towards the bottom "talking" to a sea turtle/grandma shot in Makaha by Jan. Come see this work completed (still needs paint and wax) and many others on Saturday. *


I have the honor of collaborating with famed photographer Jeff Divine and some of his stunning images on the "Queen of Makaha", Rell Sunn. I've met with her lovely daughter, Jan and enjoyed learning more about her remarkable mother, Rell. Stay tuned for pictures of these one of a kind original collages, may they express & share a sliver of the vast Aloha from Rell's heart. Thank you Jeff Divine & Jan Sunn-Carreira for the aloha you have both shown me.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

"Orange Peels" on view at The Surfing Heritage Foundation's "The Simmon's Effect" exhibition

Last week I collaborated with my very talented/photographer husband, Kevin Roche on a piece for The Surfing Heritage Foundation's, "The Simmon's Effect" exhibition (Kevin provided the beautiful center image of Ryan Burch on raw foam). Fully realizing that I will never be an expert on the genius of Bob Simmon's I pondered, "What the heck can I do or say about this pivotal person?". I dove into some research then was struck by the basic humanity of Simmons the "man" & decided to highlight some documented personal quirks with some nods also to scientific and mathematical breaking the bounds of shaping. I am no writer, I say it with images. However, I will do my best to open a window to a few of my thoughts with some pics & descriptions:
Susan Wickstrand & Kevin Roche, "Orange Peels", Orig. collab. collage, Oil, & encaustic on wood panel, 8" x 8", signed & dated on verso
Why oranges? "Simmons has been here, There'd be a stack of orange peels, like he was checking the surf. Then we'd zip up to Rincon, and there would be another stack." the man liked his fresh fruit from the trees of California & canned peaches.
The man lived off of canned peaches too with (free) wooden ice cream spoons in the ash tray of his car, ever the Scotch saving money. His mind & focus were on bigger things.
The one armed prophet atop. After significant injury to Simmon's left arm he had an interesting paddle, so I chopped off the prophet on a pedestal's left arm atop but the right, strongest arm wraps around the back. After growing up at Wind-n-Sea, I've learned, you can tell a lot about the way someone paddles.
* see above, why a one-armed prophet? Circling the entire artwork is a hand painted band of blue a metaphor for water, wave & wind binding it all together, as with the b/w photo of bands of corduroy (middle right). In the far upper left a simplistic barn structure that wraps around to the right with a door "open to the next generation" to follow through breaking down doors of perception with innovation. The barn is a metaphor for his simplistic lifestyle often wanting to design or shape alone, then show up at Malibu with a radical new shape to ride.
*above; I threw in a cheesy "paint by numbers" image dead center/above, because as a painter to someone like me Simmon's broke out of a mold for his craft in shaping/design/science & wave/water theories. To the right of that is a bronze fish. Go check out this artwork & many more amazing treasures for this exhibition and just try not to touch a concave, gorgeous Simmon's board as many are with a honey-golden California hue. Stunning....

Thank you Barry Haun of "The Surfing Heritage Foundation" for the opportunity to participate.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Houseguests 4 the Holiday...

Get in line. . . Apple should sponsor us. . .

Thursday, July 1, 2010

"when you're green you grow, when you're ripe you rot" it's good to try new things...





I love learning new things. . . it keeps my mind & heart happy. Here I went today diving in head first solo plunge, applying resin atop 3 new creations. Check it out... and safety first! My 4 year old said mommy you look cute in your pink mask as I tried it on for her for the giggles...
p.s. thanks JP of Moonlight Glassing for the tips, big help.

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