Susanne Langlois
Susanne Langlois is a Kingston Ontario based artist who has been painting for over 25 years. She describes her work as fresh, vibrant and expressive. She currently works in three distinct styles: abstract, still life botanicals, and contemporary landscapes featuring wind turbines. She has exhibited in many group and solo shows throughout Ontario. This past year she was a part of several exhibitions in the area: One was the Nocturne exhibition at the Museum of Lennox and Addington in Napanee and another was an exhibition she mounted at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning called "Sapphire Thread: A Three Generation Art Exhibition" featuring artwork by her late mother, niece and herself. She is a board member of the Organization of Kingston Women Artists (OKWA). Her paintings have won prizes in both the Kingston Arts Council Annual Juried Exhibition (Hughes Downey prize for 3rd place,’ abstract work) and the Kingston School of Art (Honorable Mention, botanical work)
“The idea of renewal in nature is a theme and subject I’m drawn to paint year after year. The early flowers that emerge in the spring are quite literally signs of re-birth and fresh hope. The way that viewers respond to these images is both emotional and universal. They bring joy! The closed bud of a tulip that is beginning to show some of its colours represents to me a perfect bundle of beauty, promise and potential. What is contained within those bulbs seems miraculous—and so exciting. They are the harbinger of spring and they are my “renewal” muse.
This year my submission includes current explorations of the theme, including a hand-painted up-cycled denim jacket also depicting the tulips. I selected this because there is literally an added layer of “renewal” in the upcycling of the jacket...giving a thrifted, used item a new life as a wearable work of art. It is a reflection on the theme that is perhaps a little unexpected, thought-provoking and fun, while also exploring the concept of re-using clothing instead of discarding it.”