Daily Inspiration: Meet Susan Reycroft

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Reycroft.

Hi Susan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
The start of any story has many places to begin. For me, the start of my art career was when I was in college at Transylvania University. My family already had an artist so I didn’t think that was a position available for me to take on. Then a Transylvania University I took a pottery class because I had to. In that class, I was encouraged to continue because there was some talent there. Then my friends from that art class encouraged me to go to art school so I applied and got in to art schools. My mother, however, said no you have to attend a liberal Arts college. so I went to Syracuse University. There I was encouraged to continue with my art and told that I had some talent.I finished a BFA in ceramic and sculpture. I went to start a masters degree at San Jose State. I have continued doing art off on for the last 40 years, but in the last 10, I have been much more serious about my art. I’ve discovered I enjoy painting on silk and with acrylics more than doing clay or sculptures. At this point I live in a small town in Colorado and I have been actively involved in several arts groups and I’ve had a couple of shows. I guess I’d have to say I was a little slow to start but I’m pleased with my progress.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Every road has a multitude of twist and turns. Mine is no different. I left San Jose State without finishing my masters. I went back to upstate New York to get married. My husband said he would support my art. It seemed he never supported my art in a way that was helpful to me. As time went on, we had three children. He had a business which needed a bookkeeper and I ended up being a stay at home mom doing a little art here and there with my children and their friends and not really for myself. After many years, I decided to divorce and move out on my own. Turned out I had to support three kids and myself so I ended up getting a special education teaching degree and a masters as well. I spent the next 15 or 20 years teaching. The work was rewarding. However, the Education system was not the most supportive place for me. It turns out being a teacher, though you’re paid for seven hours a day is more like a 12 to 15 hour day. Which left little energy and or time for my children or my art. Upon retirement, which I took early. I moved to Colorado and proceeded to build my home. I really didn’t realize how hard it would be to build the house.But I got it accomplished. I also built a studio and started doing Art more consistently. I do art almost every day, still not every day. I get a little distracted by the beauty and all the things I have in my life at this point, many of them, turning into art pieces, but not all.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As I mentioned before I’m fairly distractible. This shows up in my art as well. I like using all kinds of different mediums. I’ve tried my hand at Clay not so great at this. But somehow when I do Clay, I almost always do dragons. I’m Not sure why they’re connected, but they seem to be. I do watercolors and they’re usually connected to the ocean. I do stone sculpture and that’s almost always connected to a beach. I do some oil pastels and they seem to be connected to travel. I do photography connected to nature. But what I do mostly now is acrylic paintings and silk paintings. In all my paintings, I use a lot of color. I like the brightness of it and I like the joy it brings. When I was younger, I did more dark work, but as I have matured, I feel like there’s very little dark left in my world. We need to just enjoy the beauty we’ve been gifted. My silk paintings I consider wearable art. They could be a scarf or an accent to an outfit. I never wear them as scarves and most of the people that buy them don’t seem to wear them either. I paint with silk dies, and I allow them to flow pretty freely as they wish. There is some control, but I don’t really like to try to control the medium as many as silk painters do. I like the freedom of watching it develop into whatever it’s going to develop into. I love the excitement of having it bleed out, make an flaw and find a way to change it be a focal point. I like to embrace the medium itself. My acrylic paintings are representations of what I see in the world. They’re not really detailed paintings but again there’s a wonderful blending of color and variety. I think they lighten up my heart and I hope they lighten up the people who purchased them and put them in their homes. I would have to say in our small community what I’m known for would be my silk paintings. The silks are more unique, unusual, and not an every day appearance in Galleries. I would say in my heart, I love my acrylic paintings. I love the forgiveness the medium has to offer. I love I can change from dark to light at any point. They are still vibrant and full of color and I love to use a pallet knife, so the definition is always a bit hidden. I always want to add a sense of whimsy in my art, but it seems I’m not really a whimsy kind of gal. Through I try, it doesn’t really show up the way I think it will. I think it takes a special talent and a special character I don’t quite possess to infuse your art with whimsy. There are people have said that they do see the whimsy in my work, so I guess there’s always hope.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I spent much of my life fairly unhappy. I was a very harsh critic of myself and of others. But at some point, I started to realize there was so much beauty around me . I had a gift of making people laugh and be happy. Often didn’t know why they laughed. But, they did and they seemed happy. Now it brings me happiness to be able to share laughter and joy with friends. I’m fortunate to live in the Rocky Mountains surrounded by a level of beauty which is rare to find in this world. I have a few very close friends and a healthy supportive partner. I do live in the middle of nowhere so I have discovered the gift of books and solitude of reading. I enjoy making art, having a studio, a beautiful home, and am able to travel. If I can’t be traveling, I can simply step outside and go for a walk and see sights like mountain lions, bears, bobcats, lynx, elk, deer, porcupines the nature which surrounds me is phenomenal and every time I see one of these wonders I am filled with light and joy. I have somehow landed on a wonderful life.

Pricing:

• $35-1000

Contact Info:

• Website: lillyreyart.com
• Facebook: Lillyrey Arts
• Other: suereysue@gmail.com