Artist Susan Wickstrand

Born in Chicago, and raised in La Jolla, California, artist Susan Wickstrand graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Susan acknowledges her roots in traditional Romantic subject matter by creating landscapes that are often moody

and mysterious, and are at once familiar, yet somehow distant and inaccessible. Light plays a primary role in portraying the emotional content and character of her work, and this focus on the effects of light is further emphasized by her addition of a layer of translucent beeswax to the surface of many of her paintings and most of her collages. 

A brief description of this

unique wax process ensues:

Encaustic painting is a technique developed in ancient Greece, and can refer to any process that incorporates the use of wax manipulated through heat. Beeswax is the oldest known pigment binder. The Greek word, “Encaustika” literally means “burning in”. Typically, in this process, pigment is added to molten bees wax and in some cases resin, a hardening agent,

and then applied to a rigid surface like a wood panel. After each application, the object is subjected to the burning in process, which consists of passing a heat source over the surface, causing fusing and bonding of the painting.

Susan has been a professional artist for over 20 years. She’s exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Italy, San Francisco and San Diego. Susan’s artwork has been featured in numerous magazines and periodicals. Susan has worked with master photographers; Art

Brewer and Jeff Divine on recent collaborative collages. Susan’s artwork can be found on the walls of ABC’s Emmy winning comedy, “Modern Family” and NBC’s show “Parenthood”. Her artwork can be found in both significant public (Medtronic Corporate Headquarters in Northridge & Copa d’Oro bar in Santa Monica, CA) and private collections. Her artwork is

owned by the likes of Eddie Vedder, Gerry Lopez, and Art Brewer.

Rip Curl Global has selected Susan as their “Artist of the Search” for 2012, and her collaged artworks for them will soon be appearing on bikinis, board shorts, T’s, flip flops and bags. Susan is represented by Pacific Surf Gallery, Cardiff, CA. Susan annually donates artworks to: The Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Coast Keeper, UCSD Longboard Luau, The Waterman’s Ball, Bright Future Fulfillment Fund, and the Rell Sunn Aloha Jam, Vans Triple Crown. For

more information on Susan can visit her web site at: www.susanwickstrand.com or her blog at : www.susanwickstrand.blogspot.com