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Suzanne Olvey

Suzanne Olvey is a practicing artist living in Portland, OR. Su has a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art from New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL) and has also studied at the Marchutz School of Art in Aix-en-Provence, France, which injected French impressionist nuances into subsequent works.

Suzanne's largest body of work primarily focuses in painting and sculpture. Using the grain of wood panels as a vehicle for visually expressing Buddhist beliefs of nothingness and selflessness, Suzanne allows lines already existing within the wood to dictate the forms created with paint. This technique removes much of the artist’s ‘self,’ liberating the viewer to focus on the forms inherent in the wood. Layer by layer, amorphous, abstract shapes create a changing landscape and remind us of the relationships we have with everything around us.

After a year of residency in Portland, images reminiscent of the city and its natural surroundings are finding their way into Suzanne's pieces. Suzanne continues to explore nature and our relationships with it in many mediums; in addition to painting, Suzanne creates via various techniques and practices including screen printing, photography, collaging, sculpting and woodworking.