DPW Spotlight Interview: Sue Sneeringer

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings. To enter to win Sue's painting "Twilight on First Avenuee" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Sue's DPW Gallery:

I have been an artist since I can remember. I love to paint as much as I can. I adore mid-century modern kitsch! (click to view Sue's gallery)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

I have been drawing and painting since I can remember. For fun, my brother and sister and I would spend hours drawing away. We loved Mad magazine and would copy all the characters from the magazine. Both my brother and sister are incredible artists as well. This activity was strongly encouraged by our parents probably because it kept us quiet, ha ha. I have always considered myself an artist and studied art in both high school and college.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

Too many to count. Since I discovered Daily Paintworks, I know I will never stop creating art in some fashion from here on. DPW was the right thing at the right time to get me inspired to start painting regularly again. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Twilight on First Avenue
(click to view)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Sue's interview.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

I have a lot of experience with photography, having worked in custom photo labs for years. This lead me to my love of realism in painting. I want to get back to painting with oils as soon as I get a proper studio with good ventilation.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

Acrylics are my go to paints, especially when painting on a daily basis. I have attempted pastels but could never conquer them, I am so in awe of Susan Bjerke and her pastel works.

Flowers
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I love what people are doing with collaging and silk screening. Some day I will be the Banksy of Southern California.

Who or what inspires you most?

Other artists seem to inspire me most. My go to favorites are Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney, Alice Neel, Kenton Nelson, Andy Warhol, Lee Krasner, Claire Basler, Barbara Kruger, Shag, El Gato Gomez, Donna Mibus, I could go on and on. I try to go to all the museum exhibits and art shows that I can. I recently went to the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, where real people become works of art. It has been going for 85 years and is incredible. I look at all the paintings on DPW everyday and see what everyone is up to. I follow artists on Instagram and love when they post their processes.

Arrow Motel
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Me being lazy. I try to work through it every day.

What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?

I schedule my day so that I have a few hours every afternoon to paint. Since painting is so enjoyable, it’s something to look forward to.

Vintage L.A. Scene
(click to view)

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

Most of my paintings come from pictures I have taken or from old Kodachrome slides I collect off of eBay. I am obsessed with mid-century America. I love the architecture, advertising, cars, you name it. Most of my paintings seem to be about old signs, places or scenes.

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

I like to experiment with different painting surfaces and sizes. I am very fortunate to live 2 blocks from an art supply store and go there a lot to see what they have that is new. I usually come home with new colors, brushes and markers to use on my work.  I love to see what other artists are buying there and see what they are working on.

Cadillac Fence Hardware
(click to view)

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

By being a member of the DPW community, I am learning something new every day. By painting every day, I learn what works and what doesn’t in my artwork. I am trying new things and ways of painting that I never thought of before. It is also interesting to see what sells and what doesn’t. I don’t create a painting with the idea that it will sell, I am painting really just to please myself.

What makes you happiest about your art?

I cannot lie, I love when people like my paintings and when they buy them. I love when I finish a painting and I can get started on the next one.

Thanks, Sue!

© 2018 Sophie Marine