Posted in Abstract Art, Nature, Painting, Poetry, tagged #forestspirit, #Suzannebelair, acrylic painting, forest, forest spirit, mistakes, Painting, Poetry, rabbit on July 8, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Forest spirit
@2017 Suzanne Bélair
Acrylic and Ink on canvas
12 X 12 in
The rabbit jumps
Unnoticed
Behind the trees
It runs
Hidden from me
Disappearing in the hole
Creature of the earth
Down his tunnel he goes
Reaching his burrow
By another opening
He knows he can escape
If someone sees him
But quick he is
Running and jumping at dusk
When no one is watching
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Posted in Art, contemporary art, Painting, tagged #acrylicpainting, #artistatwork, #lastweekatthestudio, #paintingoftheweek, #Suzannebelair #workinprogress, acrylic painting, contemporary art, contemporary forest, may, sun on June 5, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Probably because the sun and heat have stayed away from us during the month of May, I spent last week continuing my series of forests in warm yellow and orange tones, finishing two paintings started in early April.
Soleil de mai / May sun
©2017 Suzanne Bélair
Acrylique et encre sur toile, 30 X 30 po
Congrégation/ Congregation
©2017 Suzanne Bélair
Acrylique sur toile 30 X 30 po
As many already know, I like to work on five to ten canvases at a time for several reasons. It could be that sometimes I start a canvas and inspiration deserts me or I don’t like the direction it’s taking, or, especially if I’m working with oils, I need to let the painting dry before moving ahead.
I put it aside and let my right brain work quietly on it while I am doing something else, undertake a new painting or work on another. It sometimes takes months before I go back to it, there are things you can’t rush and you have to feel the painting.
This week I also had the visit of my good friends Tony and Sandy who came for cocktails and see my space.
I also found out I was accepted in the Art Symposium Estiv’Art that will take place in Magog in August 2017. To find out more about this : Estiv’Art
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Posted in Art, Painting, tagged #artistatwork, #oilpainting, #Suzannebelair, #workinprogress, Oil painting, painting progress, san giminiano on May 6, 2017| 2 Comments »
Travail en cours / Work in progress
©2017 Suzanne Bélair
Oil on canvas 30 X 40
Inspired by San Gimiano, Italy- view from one of the towers, started this new painting, still untitled – to be followed
After all these years of painting, I finally got myself a T-square. I must say this is the first time I ever used this instrument and it is the best thing ever to draw and paint a complex urban scenes like this one, full of buildings and eaves trough.
This painting is based on pictures I took from the towers surrounding San Giminiano in Italy when we visited a few years ago.
San Giminiano is a small medieval town in the province of Sienna,Tuscany. The town is walled and known as “the Town of Fine Towers”. The town is famous for its medieval architecture and the preservation of 13 tower houses that date back to the fourteenth century. These numbered 72 originally and were built by rich families to show their wealth and economic power.
It is a beautiful town, still very lively and interesting to visit. Like a previous one I painted a few years ago, I decided to ass colors to the grey buildings to create a dynamic art piece.
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Posted in Art, Painting, tagged #Suzannebelair, art exhibit, artworks, LAA, NOVA, oil paintings, vernissage.art show on April 9, 2017| Leave a Comment »
This is an invitation for the wonderful Spring exhibit from the Lakeshore Association of Artists I am part of. This year again, approximately 45 artists will exhibit at the Fritz Farm Community Center, located at 20477 Lakeshore road in Baie d’Urfé H9X 1R3. One third of artwork sales and all raffle tickets sales will be donated to NOVA West Island.
NOVA West Island is a charitable healthcare organization that supports the West Island population by providing palliative and oncology care, adult and children bereavement programs, home support and adult day centers. These are provided by a team of registered nurses, health aides, program coordinators and volunteers.
The vernissage takes place on Friday April 21st from 7PM to 9:30PM and the exhibit continues Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd from 10am to 5 pm.
Don’t miss this special event ! I will be there on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.
I also invite you to visit my website at: http://suzannebelair.com and my facebook page: www.facebook.com/SuzanneBelairArtist
Hope to see you there !
Suzanne
Posted in Abstract Art, Art, LIFE, Nature, Painting, Poetry, tagged #indomptable, #Suzannebelair, abstract art, acrylic painting, forest, Painting, reliving, resilience on March 17, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Indomptable
©2017 Suzanne Bélair
Acrylique sur toile 30 X 30 po
Man wants to subdue the forest
To his power, to his needs
Man wants to tame the forest
But the forest is fighting
Each time it resists
After each attack, it regenerates
Indomitable, secret, new
Each time it reveals itself
Despite the assaults
Every time it relives
©2017 Suzanne Belair
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Posted in Abstract Art, HAPPINESS, LIFE, Nature, Painting, tagged #foresttravels, #Suzannebelair, acrylic painting, fear, forest, mistakes, Painting, travel on March 11, 2017| 1 Comment »
Forest travels
©2017Suzanne Belair
Acrylic on canvas 30 X 30 in
Today I am sharing a new painting finished in January. Forests are one of my favourite subjects and I really enjoy painting this new series.
The traveller is moving towards the other side of the trees, towards the future. So it is in life, where we are forced to move constantly and become someone new everyday of our life.
Change is constant and our travels through life are life changing. Learning something every day, being kind to others, progressing, building, changing ourselves or something.
Painting and writing are metaphors for life. We strive to do our best, we have to confront our fear of committing to color and shapes just as in life, we often fear committing to something, we fear making decisions.
A good example is related in a book I have been reading authored by Joseph T. Hallinan, “Why we make mistakes”. The author relates a scientific study that concluded that when faced with the choice, students prefer not change an answer on a test (i.e. prefer doing nothing) rather than make a decision to change their answer even when they suspected the change might end up being the right answer. In follow-up interviews, it was revealed that it is the notion of regret that influenced the students most. They were afraid of regretting taking the wrong action and they regretted less not taking action and leaving the wrong answer.
So often, we get stuck in this way in our life, being afraid to make a decision we might regret, we prefer not to do anything which in itself is a decision but is not perceived as such by the brain.
In conclusion, be bold, dare to step over the threshold into the unknown, for this is what life is all about. Travel fearlessly through your life’s forests.
Ref: Hallinan, J.T. 2009. “Why we make mistakes”. Broadway books. New York.
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Posted in Abstract Art, HAPPINESS, LIFE, motivation, Painting, tagged #Suzannebelair, #thelightwillfindyou, acrylic painting, breath, hope, mindfulness, Painting, sadness on January 27, 2017| 4 Comments »
The light will find you
©2017 Suzanne Belair
Acrylic on canvas 30 X 30 in
Today I am sharing a new painting recently finished. It speaks of the light that is in everyone’s life and that will come out after any episode of sadness.
When you are feeling sad, discouraged, in a rut, it is better to stop and take a few moments to think about it and feel it fully, than to keep on going, making believe it is not happening. It is important not to run away from your feelings.
Here is something that I do and that makes me feel better every time.
When you get a chance during your day, stop what you are doing, sit down or lie down and feel these feelings fully. It might feel like heaviness in your chest but it could also be the panicky sensation we get when fear wants to insert itself into our life, when indeed it has. What can we do to help this? It all starts with mindfulness and acknowledging what is happening inside you.
Breathing slowly and becoming aware of the physical feelings and calming these, is essential. Here’s how I do it. I sit down and close my eyes and I imagine a beautiful space surrounding me like a lush garden or a deep blue sky. My own preference is I see myself sitting in a forest beside a tree near a small river, and I hear the water flow and it is very calm. Once the image is clear in your head, start breathing mindfully.
Breathe slowly through your nose. Breathe in your sadness, feel it in your body, around your heart, and then release it with the out breath, feel the sadness get out of your body with the breath and vanish in the forest (or whatever space you created). Continue this for a while until you truly feel the release (minimum 10 breaths).
Continue the slow mindful breathing: Others are also feeling sad, so think of them also, feel their sadness at losing a loved one or at their situation. Breathe in their sadness through your heart and breathe all this sadness out toward your beautiful image surrounding you, toward the vastness it, feel the sadness dissolve around you. Visualize your out breath carrying the sadness away from you.
While you are doing this exercise, be present to how you feel when you release the sadness in the nature surrounding you. Be present to your feeling of compassion for others and your feeling that you are not alone.
Be aware that all in temporary, life is impermanence and your sadness is also temporary. The light will find you.
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