Suzanne Warren Powell - Zen and Wow
By Sally Hansen

Exuberance abounds in the heart and art of Suzanne Warren Powell. Her mixed media paintings glow with her enthusiasm for life and her openness to her surroundings and new possibilities. The name of her studio and new home gallery (watch theHumm calendar for the opening) is So Zen. More than a play on her name, it reflects Suzanne's grounding in Zen principles of being present in the moment and open and sensitive to your environment.

Suzanne was born in Montreal, raised in Quèbec City, lived in Berlin, Germany and Ithaca, N.Y. and raised two sons mostly in the Ottawa area. Growing up, she wanted to be a translator and/or social worker in the third world, and make and teach music. In fact, she speaks four languages, has toured Canada playing the guitar and singing with a touring liturgical musical group, and appeared in a folk-rock "chick band" at the age of sixteen. For three years she was an arts columnist for the Kanata Kourier. She fabricates jewellery with her own lampworked (glass) beads and semi-precious stones. Her photographs have appeared on the covers of national magazines. She designed and ran a pre-school French immersion program in Carp. She has a B.A. in English and a Teacher's degree from McGill, and a Master's in Educational Technology from Concordia with a specific focus on media, including TV production.

Zen and the Art
In her 30s, Suzanne started painting, soon winning awards for her watercolours and becoming a Fellow in the Ottawa Watercolour Society. But her zest for life spurred her to search for her own artistic milieu. A three-year stint working at Wallack's Art & Drafting Supplies opened her eyes to the limitations and possibilities of arts materials, and she embraced the exciting world of mixed media painting. Her new palette of exciting, vibrant media has become the creative instrument through which she seeks to express her Zen concepts of being there in the moment, of being broadminded and all-encompassing. Her works are proof of her affinity and talent for her found milieu.

She shares a lovely story about her parents that illuminates her natural attraction to Zen philosophies. "I am so indebted to my father for opening me up to so many possibilities. He took me for walks as a kid, and was always saying 'feel the grass on your legs; see the colours; smell the flowers'...I remember my mother saying 'I can always tell where your father is, because I hear people laughing!'" What a legacy.

Zen and the Art of Teaching
It's a legacy that Suzanne delights in perpetuating. A huge part of her love of art is her enjoyment in sharing that love through her teaching. She has been teaching the fun of creative expression through experimental visual arts for the past fifteen years throughout the Ottawa area. For the past five years she has worked from her fabulous, spacious country studio near Pakenham that doubles as a flexible classroom. "I teach a lot of beginners because I really want to make art accessible. One of my most rewarding experiences is opening doors for mature students who feel they are really connecting to something exciting, satisfying and worthwhile. I can't think of a better thing to do than make people feel good."

Almost two years ago several of Suzanne's enthusiastic students enlisted her support in creating a new Ottawa-based visual arts organization devoted solely to the burgeoning field of mixed media. Today Suzanne is Artist Mentor of OMMA (Ottawa Mixed Media Artists), now comprising a membership of some seventy very proactive, experimental visual artists who work in a variety of media including watercolour, acrylics, collage, ink, pastel, pencil, charcoal and more. As a group, OMMA provides its members with mutual encouragement and support, opportunities for further development and occasions to exhibit in group shows. Just as importantly, OMMA provides art lovers in the community with opportunities to connect with contemporary and innovative work.

This summer from July 14-18 Suzanne will be offering an innovative course through the Mississippi Mills School of the Arts in Almonte that brings her two great loves together: Music and Paint - The Creative Link. Drawing on the works of musicians/visual artists Miles Davis, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell and others, the class features painting and drawing to a range of musical styles to explore the fascinating relationships between these two forms of artistic expression.

This Zen-energized artist also works as a creative facilitator to individuals and groups of advanced art students and professionals, providing a developmental environment for dealing with creative blocks and benefitting from peer feedback.

Seeking So Zen
Like her creativity, the opportunities to see Suzanne's works abound. In a few weeks you will be able to visit her beautiful new So Zen Gallery at her home at 4385 Panmure Rd. near Pakenham, just a few minutes from the Queensway - husband John Powell has created a wonderful exhibition space. As a member of OMMA, some of Suzanne's works will be on display on Saturday, June 14th during RiverEdge in downtown Almonte, and at Art Nuvo (126 Mill St., Almonte) from June 1st to Sept. 15th during their hosting of OMMA's show entitled "Gift of Art: Mixed Media Artists Interpret the Ottawa Valley." She also has works on exhibit at Britannia Gallery (2728 Howe St., Ottawa, 721-1559) and the Kanata Civic Art Gallery (Mlacak Centre, 2500 Campeau Dr., Kanata, 592-4291). You can also contact her directly at 839-0148.