When I first saw Suzette MacSkimming’s artworks in her home studio near Perth, I was thrilled to experience the same fascination I felt decades ago when I first saw a huge Jackson Pollock original at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY. Without knowing it, I was hooked on Abstract Expressionism.

Painting to the Beat

MacSkimming was hooked on Abstract Expressionism in the 60s as a fine arts major at the University of California, Berkeley, where she was taught and mentored by some of the art movement’s leading artists. Initially enrolled as a Sociology major, she took a few art courses and eagerly embraced the excitement and freedom of the “Beat Generation”. She also loved “flinging paint” in the celebrated style of Pollock and Montreal’s Jean Paul Riopelle.

Like Vassily Kandinski, who in the early 20th century incurred the wrath of the Nazis by advocating an abstract art that moved beyond imitation of the physical world, MacSkimming believes that “in abstraction, there is the possibility of entering a new world. I use the process of artistic creation to understand my own life.” This search for the real holds endless fascination for her. “What I find real is in my paintings. I start with a plan, but once I put on the music, the act of painting takes on a life of its own. There is something pure about giving the soul and the imagination free rein.”
Her artworks evoke intense emotional responses — the truest measure of successful abstract art. The sale to the Sprott School of Business was the result of a spontaneous emotional response by a visitor to her studio last spring during the annual Country Lanes Studio Tour on Victoria Day weekend. The guest spoke to the Sprott administrator in charge of selecting art for the school and suggested that she take a look. When asked if she had anything suitable for larger spaces, Suzette raced downstairs and retrieved a large monotype diptych she had stored in her basement. The rest, as they say, is art history.

Art That Works On All Levels

A printing technique known since the 17th century, monotype art is enjoying a resurgence of interest among artists in Ontario. Some, like Suzette, have travelled to the Contemporary Artists’ Centre in North Adams, Massachusetts, to use the unusual flat-bed presses there. Oil-based inks are layered, scraped, and rolled directly onto the printing plate. By adding oils of various viscosities to the ink, the opacity and transparency of each layer of colour can be controlled. Specialized inking and pressing techniques allow multi-coloured layered effects with only one pressing by the powerful hand-operated hydraulic press, with no danger of smearing the ink as would be the case with a conventional roller press.

After the printing stage, MacSkimming applies other art media (pastels, crayons, ink, collage material) to develop the work further, often applying many layers to create fields of vibrating colours that lead the eye in many paths across the surface. Sometimes she incorporates material gathered from the natural or industrial world into the composition. The mixed-media/monotypes capture the spontaneity and “groove” of paintings, while revealing unique effects that are not possible by any other method.

MacSkimming’s complex, multi-layered, deeply textured, richly hued compositions are visually fascinating and psychologically compelling. Both her acrylic canvases and her monotypes invite interpretation and offer pleasure on many levels. They can be readily appreciated as beautiful celebrations of texture, colour and form. They can trigger unbidden emotional and psychological responses. They reward systematic and intensive examination with continuing revelation and discovery. As frequently is the case with music and dance, also intrinsically abstract art forms, the more knowledge and experience the audience brings to the art, the greater the potential reward.

Finding the Groove

Music was a major influence in the development of abstract art, and it is an integral component of Suzette’s creative process. Like Jackson Pollock, she uses a “direct” painting technique, allowing the imagery to evolve spontaneously, without preconceptions. Inspired by her dreams, by the natural beauty surrounding her, and by universal themes such as the passage of time, she creates sensual, evocative artworks that literally pulsate with energy. In contrast to Pollock’s art, to me her works are more open-ended questions than statements, and therefore endlessly challenging and evocative.

In her Artist’s Statement, MacSkimming writes: “‘Abstract’ art can be puzzling. It may take time to get into, but in the end it may also let the viewer grapple with a bit of her/himself, come to a different way of looking at one’s surroundings, even uncover some buried truths.” Suzette MacSkimming’s abstract expressionist art is a great place to expand your art appreciation horizons.

For immediate gratification, visit her website where you also will be able to learn about her five-day workshop in April offering an intensive look into the various aspects of painting with acrylics. Or visit the Agnes Etherington Art Centre Rental and Sales Gallery at Queen’s University in Kingston. Giclée prints of some of Suzette’s gorgeous works are available by contacting her at 267–7721 or by email. For delayed gratification, Suzette regularly participates in Country Lanes Studio Tour, Victoria Day Weekend (May 17–19), and the Perth Autumn Studio Tour, Thanksgiving Weekend (Oct. 11–13), so mark your calendars and check theHumm!