Florida Artists Group

Susan's Bio:

Artist's Statement:

There is a musical nature to my abstract paintings. For me, brushing paint onto a canvas is akin to an exuberant orchestra conductor shaping beautiful music with his baton. I have a strong music appreciation that's rooted in my childhood. My father was a musician and I recall that music was always playing in our home. Music inspires me to create. It transports me to a place in my subconscious where I am able to express my emotions intuitively and spontaneously with paint on canvas. I would describe many of my abstract paintings in the style of lyrical abstraction.
 I begin my compositions by laying down strong, gestured lyrical lines, based on the emotional connection I feel to the music. Those lines will be the primary element in my painting because of their ability to express those emotions. Is the music TOUGH? EDGY? SOOTHING? SEXY? Will my brush strokes be scratchy, angular, agitated or will they be flowing, delicate and graceful? 
I follow this step by adding the orchestra:  color, texture, contrast, tonality. They work to solidify the rhythm, harmony, balance and intangible elements of the painting. I hope that the intimate connection I feel to the music will be translated to the viewer's appreciation of the painting. Over the years my paintings have evolved from being contemplative and relaxing color field compositions to energic, gestural paintings characterized by expressive line and color.

Exhibitions:

2020           The Big Show, Art Center Sarasota's largest and most important national, juried,
                    annual exhibition,  July 16 - August 21, 2020, Danny Olda curator
2020           FLAG Annual Symposium and Exhibition celebrating 70th Anniversary, Foosaner Art Museum,                     Florida Tech, Melbourne, Fl., March 28 - July 25, 2020
2019           Florida’s Finest, Art Center Sarasota, September 5 - October 4, 2019, juror, Christopher Jones,                     Curator of Photography and New Media at The Ringling
2018           Florida’s Finest, Art Center Sarasota, statewide annual all media juried exhibition of 2 and 3                     dimensional art, Juror: Joe Fig
2017           Florida’s Finest, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Fl., statewide annual juried exhibition of 2 and 3                     dimensional art, juried by Lynn Whitelaw, Founding Director and Curator of
                    Leepa Rattner Museum. Exhibition runs from July 6 - August 11, 2017
2017-2019    Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Fl. juried exhibitions
2017           FLAG  67th Annual Symposium & Exhibition, February 10-March 13,
                    Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, Fl. juror: Jack Rasmussen.
2016 - 17    Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Fl., juried exhibitions
2016           FLAG  66TH Annual Symposium & Exhibition, Center for the Arts Bonita Springs,
                    Bonita Springs, Fl. Juror: Katherine Chang Liu
2015           All Things Considered, juried exhibition, ArtCenter Manatee, Bradenton, FL,
                    November 10 – December 4.
2015           FLAG Area 6 Exhibition includes other Area Chairs' work. Butterfield Garage Art Gallery,
                    137 King Street, St. Augustine, Fl., Nov. - Dec
2015           Art Center Sarasota juried exhibitions
2015           Daily News, first juried exhibition of 2015-16 season, all media, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL,                     juror, Marty Fugate, October 15 - November 21, Honorable Mention
2015           Art Matters, juried exhibition, ArtCenter Manatee, Bradenton, Fl, September 3 - October 2,
                    juror: Chris Parins.
2015           3RD Annual Florida Flavor -  juried exhibition, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, Fl,
                    July 9- August 14, juror Rob Tarbell
2014           Juried exhibitions, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
2014           5th Annual Juried Exhibition, Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Longboat Key, FL                  
2014           Tradition Gone Wild, Venetian Society of Basket Weavers exhibition, juried, Art Center                                         Sarasota, Sarasota, FL.
2014           Florida Living, Art Center Manatee, Bradenton, FL.
2014           FLAG Area VII Exhibition, Alliance for the Arts, Ft. Meyers, FL
2013           The Dancing Crane Gallery Winter Exhibition, Village of the Arts, Bradenton, FL
2013-14     Group Exhibition sponsored by The Dancing Crane Gallery, Bradenton Financial Center,                                 Bradenton, FL
2013           Juried exhibitions, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
2013           Red, Florida Artist Group, Area 4 Exhibition, Beach Art Center, Indian Rocks Beach, FL
2013           The 4th Annual Juried Exhibition, Florida Museum for Women Artists,Deland, FL                                            Juror - George Bolge, CEO, Museum of Florida Art
2013           The 63rd Annual Florida Artist Group (FLAG) Symposium and Exhibition,                                                             LeMoyne Art Center, Tallahassee, FL  Juror -Jaune Quick-to-See Smith
2013           The Dancing Crane Gallery Summer Exhibition, Village of the Arts, Bradenton, FL
2013           Abstract Rhythms, solo exhibition, The Center for Arts and Humanity, Sarasota, FL
2013           Simply Original Exhibition at Art Center Sarasota, juried - First Place
2013           Salon des Artistes Art and Photography Exhibition, Longboat Key Education Center,                                   Longboat Key, FL
2013           Inspirations, 4th Annual Invitational Exhibition by Artist Guild of Anna Maria Island,
                    The Studio at Gulf and Pine, AMI, FL
2012           The Crane Sings the Blues, The Dancing Crane Gallery, Bradenton, FL
2012           Juried exhibitions, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL
2012           Best of the Best, The Players Theatre Gallery
2012          The Dancing Crane Gallery Summer Exhibition
2012          The 62nd Annual Florida Artist Group (FLAG) Symposium and Exhibition, 
                   Ringling College of Art and Design, Selby Galleries I & II and Illustration Gallery, Sarasota,                    FL,  Tom Nakashima, Juror
2012          It's Who We Are, Art Center Sarasota, Sarasota, FL, juried, Honorable Mention
2012         Art at The Windsor, 5th annual invitational group exhibition, The Windsor of Lakewood Ranch,                    Lakewood Ranch, Florida, juried
2012          Solo Exhibition, Susan von Gries, Harmony Gallery, Sarasota, FL
2012          artinsight-sarasota and Friend, Group Show, The Players Theatre Gallery, Sarasota, FL
2012          Blossoms, The Dancing Crane Gallery, group show
2011          Man as Object, Reversing the Gaze, Women’s Caucus for Art, SOMArts Cultural Center,
                   San Francisco, CA, juried
2011          Why Not Women?, artinsight-sarasota group show, The Studio at Gulf and Pine,
                   Anna Maria, FL
2011-12    The Players Theatre Gallery, group show, Sarasota, FL
2011-12     Art at the Windsor, Annual Invitational Group Exhibition, Lakewood Ranch, FL, juried
2011          artinsight and friends, Group Show, The Dancing Crane Gallery, Bradenton, FL
2010          artinsight-sarasota Premier Exhibition, group show, Living Walls Furniture and Design,                    Sarasota, FL
2010          A Night of Art and Jazz, artinsight-sarasota group show, MetLife Financial Investors,                    Sarasota, FL
2010          5 Women Artists, group show, Raymond James Investment Group, Sarasota, FL
2010          Fringe Gallery Exhibition, Sarasota Fringe Film Festival, group show, Sarasota, FL
2010          Beat the Blahs, Group show, Frary Gallery, Sarasota, FL
2008-12    Art Center Sarasota, group exhibitions, juried
2005-09   Art in the Park, Sarasota, FL, juried
1998           Senior Art Show, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI
1998          Student Art Show, University of Wisconsin, Kenosha, WI , juried
1989          American School of the Hague Staff Show, American Women's Club,
                   The Hague, Netherlands
1988          Susan von Gries, Artist, solo show, American Women's Club, The Hague, Netherlands
1983          4th Biennial Artists and Artisans Show, Cercle Artistique Communal, Waterloo,
                  Belgium, juried