Suzanne V Paddock - Painter
Suzanne V Paddock was born and raised in suburban New York. She received a BS in Visual Arts from the State University in New Paltz, NY. She was involved in the arts community in Woodstock and Kingston before moving in 2012 to Central Virginia. Since then, Paddock has been an active member of the burgeoning arts community in the town of Bedford and is also on the exhibition committee at Bower Center for the Arts. Paddock has exhibited in Virginia and New York in group, solo, judged, and juried exhibitions over the years. Currently she works out of her residential studio offering tours by appointment.
CONTACT INFO:
@suzanne.paddock.art on Instagram
@SVPStudio319 on Facebook
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I think there are really two parts to that question, the art making and financial stability through art making. I have always been an artist, always thinking creatively and wanting inherently to make visual representations and visual stories since a very young age. I couldn’t actually name myself and identify myself as an artist though, until my early 20s after deciding that what I did to generate money to pay bills was not going to be what defined me as a person. Regardless of the jobs I had, and I’ve only had three in my collection that pertained directly to art, I am an artist. After my first job in the art field, I knew I wanted to always be able to make a living that way, but it just didn’t happen that way. The arts are precarious.
How does your personal story/background influence your work?
My work is inspired by my belief that art is a necessity. It reaches across culture, language and time to teach us a compassionate understanding for one another. My paintings center on strong emotional and narrative connections. They are influenced by my everyday living, observing, and daydreaming, and informed by the intimacy of personal stories and memories, both my own and those collected.
My personal background influences my work most deeply in the fact that I am empowered through my artmaking in a way that I am not, nor have I ever been, in any other aspect of my life ~ ever. So, it is something I feel very strongly about, protective of, and very grateful for. It gives me respect for the serious work that is involved in all the creative disciplines and a wonder about how we can connect with others in such a unique way.
Which of your works are you most proud of?
The pieces I am most proud of are the ones that hit the hardest.
What advice do you have for young or aspiring artists?
get a well-rounded education in all aspects of what you want to do with your art, meaning, learn as early as possible about business and what works for you. Connect with an arts community too. Gathering with others that are like you is validating and refreshing and important!
Who are other artists that inspire you?
Frida Kahlo
Helen Hubler (portrait artist in Roanoke, VA area)
Prehistoric cave paintings