Susan Mahan | Hayley Gallery

Medium:

Mixed Media

Flower Child 18 x18 Collage Painting $800	Here Kitty 12 x 12 Collage Painting $425
Comfort Food 24 x 12 Collage Painting $375	Twins 12 x 12 Collage Painting $425
Teapot 12 x 12 Collage Painting $425	The Anniversary 18 x 18 Collage Painting $700

I grew up in a home filled with creativity. My mother was a painter and sculptor, and my father was a writer with a keen interest in advertising and graphic design. As a child I rejected mandatory art classes and learned to speak Spanish and play tennis. During my freshman year at Miami University I discovered that the art department was where i belonged. I earned my degree in art and education with a heavy concentration in art history. My career as an art teacher took me to several schools. I finally found my school home at Mariemont High School. I spent 25 years teaching art to high school students at MHS. During that time, I earned a Master's Degree from Xavier University. My continuing education was filled with classes at the art academy, Miami and Xavier summer seminars, and some classes with a couple of local artists.

I retired from teaching in 2006 to devote my energy to being a full-time artist. I enjoy participating in some local shows as well as maintain a studio at the Pendleton art center in downtown Cincinnati. I currently look forward to a new role as an art department professor at Xavier University in the spring of 2010.

The best things I have learned were learned in my own classroom. Value every "accident" with materials you use. It may lead to something unimagined and great. Be spontaneous with your materials and process. You can capture that energy. Another pair of eyes is always important. That can help you work your way out of a corner. A schedule is not really a bad thing- it helps you develop a great work ethic. Art history is always a great place to begin. The main thing that I have learned from my parents, teachers, students and friends is that you should never stop learning. Education doesn't stop when you earn a degree. That is just the beginning.

The process I developed for the creation of my pieces is called "collage painting." First, canvas is painted and printed using acrylic paint and block printing techniques. The image is then drawn on a stretched canvas. Now the fun begins! The painted/printed canvas is cut and collaged over the drawing. Sometimes embellishment is added with additional materials and embroidery techniques. The resulting image is dimensional and filled with pattern and movement. Above all, I wish for my work to be colorful and optimistic.