August 2026 Studio & Collectors Corner Update

Some new projects and continued collections.

Pink Lunar Sunset

Thinking Pink!  

During the next few months I'll continue building my various collections. 

Route 66

18 paintings representing the adventure I took in May.

New PleinAir Workshops:

Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Fullerton, Costa Mesa, Laguna, Long Beach, Seal Beach , San Pedro, Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, The LA Waterfront, and so many more South Bay and Orange County locations. 

Studio and outdoor painting sessions.

Spring and Summer 2026

Thursdays at the California Irish Arts in Harbor City.

New Schedule for Springtime!

Mondays: South Bay Mornings 

Momma Mocha Mondays: Coffee and Creativity

Private Instruction and Outdoor Painting by appointment.  Join my open air studio along the beach or stop the bluffs in Palos Verdes to sketch and paint! @suzanneartist

Afternoons: at Torrance Arts Academy 

Tuesdays: 

Several times a month in Newport Beach , I teach drawing, painting and composition to the senior residents at Atria Senior Living. 

On ALTERNATIVE TUESDAYS, 

Oil Painting and Private Instruction on Zoom.

It could be painting, calligraphy, journals, mixed media, watercolor, or a complete painting project... Check the calendar to see what is planned next*.  Plans change, so always check in and RSVP to be notified!  OPEN Tuesdays in March: St. Patrick's Day!   March 17th!  Please grab a sketchbook and come along for the wild ride as we accompany the McNulty School of Irish Dance for their annual March Madness Day!  St. Patrick's Day Shenanigans...  I will be sketching and documenting the day with quick sketches.  Follow me on Instagram @SuzanneArtist to keep current on locations and performance updates.  April dates will be AFTER Easter Week! 

Wednesdays will be available for ZOOM and private critique and painting sessions - contact for available dates and times.

Thursdays at California Irish Arts

Fridays: Private Art Students and Field Trips 

Saturday & Sunday: PleinAir Painting Workshops & Instruction!

SUMMER PROGRAM CALENDAR will be posted on April 1st!

Use the QR code or email for registration and details. 

Art Education & Discovery - 2024

START with a Blank Paper and Pencils

And Empty Canvas and a collection of Paints, Papers, and 

Random colors.   Let the curiosity begin, and allow your creativity to do amazing things.

Drawing, Sketching, Colors, Canvas.

Six week sessions to explore and evolve your art journey.

Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced Education programs available. 

Studio Sessions, Zoom, and Hybrid. - Intermediate (High School Focus)

New Sessions beginning February 5th.

REQUEST information Here

REGISTER HERE

New Art Lessons for 2024

Give the Gift of Art...

Art for ONE STUDENT

Art for TWO

Art for a SMALL GROUP

Art for a GROUP of FAMILY

Art for your SPECIAL EVENT

Art for your RETREAT

Art for ANY OCCASION

One class or a series!!! Your choice! 

Whether for one hour or one semester,

Suzanne's Art Studio is available to customize the right lesson or series of lessons. 

Gift Certificates with special gifting packages (supplies & basket) can be personalized and themed for the recipeint. 

Maybe it's an art book? Maybe it's a destination? Maybe it's just a stack of canvases and brushes? 

Gift Orders and Gift Certificate Bonuses Now Through November 30th!

Be sure to use your #pinkyandjake when you email!!!

suzannesportraitstudio@gmail.com

PleinAir Q & A

Suzanne Gibson / 2023

a plein air introduction to oil painting 


PleinAir - the art of painting outdoors, in the open air.

Painting outside is nothing new. Many of the impressionist masters like Monet, Van Gogh and Seurat all demonstrated and produced beautiful sketches and paintings while outside. Painting out in the fresh air, feeling the wind, the sun, the breezes, the chill of a north wind, or perhaps a drop of rain all become part of the story while experiencing the moments spent with the canvas.

Paintings can be created directly on to canvas or paper using pencils, watercolors, pastels, ink, and paint. Over time, an artist can develop a skill that becomes their favorite, but it is a good idea to try various materials to determine which is right for you. Some sets of paints and pencils are small and compact and easy to carry in a small bag. This is ideal for traveling. Other kits for painting can be a little bigger, but also allow the artist to create larger and more detailed pieces of art.... but that would be up to the individual artist to decide.

Sketches and Studies are the starting point for PleinAir paintings. Understanding where the sun and natural light is and how fast it is moving is a skill learned through observation. We will use a SHADOW SPHERE to see where the light and shadow is at the beginning of the lesson and compare it to where the light is at the end of the lesson. THUMBNAIL SKETCHES can be used to help create a composition. This is a way to decide what to put in the painting, what to focus on, and how much extra stuff is needed. What do you want the viewer to look at. Where do you want the eye to go in the painting?

Once we have selected our VIEW we can look at the elements in the scene. Where is the HORIZON LINE? What is in the FOREGROUND, MIDDLEGROUND, AND BACKGROUND? What is going on in the sky? What is on the horizon?

• Now that we have figured out what we are going to draw and paint, we need to look at our tools and get started.
• PAINTING SURFACE: This is the canvas, a board, or a stretched piece of cloth, paper, or wood that has been prepared for your painting experience. Today we are using CANVAS PAPER that has been taped and stretched for you. This will allow us to let your artwork dry properly before you take it home in a few weeks.
• CONTE CRAYON in Sanguine Natural color is as "authentic" to old school sketching. This compressed oil pastel will put some edges and lines that will blend into our painting. We will lightly put a few lines onto our paper to help us get started.
• PAINTING today will be with WATER-SOLUBLE OIL PAINT. We will use SOLVENT-FREE GEL as our mixing medium (No TURPENTINE, no HAZERDOUS FUMES) and we will paint outside. Oil Paint (water-soluble and traditional) is still OIL PAINT and is mixed with natural vegetable oils and minerals. We do NOT FINGER PAINT with oils. We are Clean and Gentle with our oils.
• The Paint Brushes: Our FRIENDS!
• WE ARE KIND TO OUR PAINTBRUSHES.
• Different brushes help us do different things. Pick and choose which brush is suitable for the job. A small brush for a big rock? Or a big brush for a small tree? Each section of your painting will require a choice and you have a few brushes to help you make that choice. Please EXPERIMENT to see which brush does the best job.
• To clean our brushes and tools after oil painting, we use gentle shampoo and a solvent free mineral oil cleaner. I use lavender brush cleaner or citrus brush soap. In between I will use a gentle cloth to wipe and shape my brushes.
• Brushes are laid flat on a towel to dry. This prevents a buildup of water in the ferrule. A rusty, smelly ferrule is not a nice thing.
• PALETTE: The surface where we mix the paint. Plastic, Glass, Wood, or Paper. We are using Paper today.
• THE COLORS: OIL PAINTING PALETTE FOR PLEINAIR.
• PRIMARY COLOR PALETTE: RED, YELLOW, BLUE, WHITE, AND THEN A NATURAL YELLOW OCHRE.
• WE PAINT QUICKLY using "ALLA PRIMA" techniques. This means painting quickly, using a wet -on-wet method. The artist needs to think about the color combinations before they put them onto the canvas. There are no mistakes, but there are sometimes complications from putting red in the sky and green where you intended to put white. Planning and understanding what to paint first will take time.
• OUR UNDERPAINTING will be painted very THIN. USING OCHER to figure out our DARKEST shadows and shapes. We aren't looking at Trees and hills yet. Just the shapes and lines.
• Once our DRAWING is in place we start to fill in the sky and background colors. Look at the horizon... look at the sky along the horizon line. Is it bright? Is it grey? is it cloudy? THIS IS ATMOSPHERE! Is it lighter blue? is it purple? It will look different at 9 a.m. and different at 6 p.m. because of the movement of the sun!
• QUICK DRAW - sometimes I put a timer on and see how much of a sketch I can draw in 1 hour. This helps me become a better artist. Sometimes I limit myself to two colors. This helps me focus on the shapes and shadows without looking at the colors.
• Sometimes I paint the same thing over and over again. I change the lighting. I change the time of day. I paint in the sunshine. I paint in the rain. I paint at night time. I paint in moonlight. I paint with friends.
• WORDS YOU WILL HEAR PAINTERS USING:
• TEMPERATURE
• VALUE (STRONG / SOFT / HARSH)
• TONE (BRIGHT / MUTED)
• SMOOTH / TEXTURED
• WARM / COOL
• LIGHT / SHADOW
• SOFT / HARD (EDGES)
• LINES - HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL, DIAGONAL,
• VANISHING POINT,
• ONE POINT PERSPECTIVE
• TWO POINT PERSPECTIVE
• FOCAL POINT
• TO EXPLORE MORE PAINTING CLASSES WITH SUZANNE: PLEASE VISIT MY ART SCHOOL PAGE:
• ARTLESSONSBYSUZANNE.BLOGSPOT.COM
• Follow my next journey on location in Ireland.
• July 20 through August 8th.
• #SuzanneArtist on Instagram
• and Suzanne's Art School on Facebook 

Spring and Summer Art in Wonderland!!!

2022 Spring/Summer Art Season!!!

"Curiouser and Curiouser"

A Hall of Curious Doors.

Mixed Media, Perspective Drawing, and a Hidden Treasure....

3D project - Mushrooms - Wonderland Fairy / Gnome Garden - Clay and Assemblage

Royal Celebration: Queens Jubilee

A royal tea party, with cakes, and jam.

Watercolor and Acrylic Workshops

And of course, Heart Shaped Tarts.

Mad Hatters Tea Party

A whimsical assortment of projects.

Still Life. Tea Cups. And a Mouse?.... in a Teapot?

How about a game of Croquet?

A White Rabbit!

A deck of Cards?

Kid Friendly Card Games using Standard Deck of Cards

Now that you have something to think about, there will be classes and workshops for Children and Adults throughout the Spring and Summer. All themed on MY FAVOURITE story!!!

To request a Registration Packet please drop a note in the comments.

May, June, July, August dates.

Some will be individual classes, others will be workshops (part 1, 2, 3) in Minicamps or intensive 1 day programs.

May 28th "WELCOME TO WONDERLAND" WORKSHOP DAY!!!

June 20 - TAA (9 - 12 )WONDERLAND WORKSHOP - AFTERNOON - PART 1

June 21 - TAA (9 - 12) WONDERLAND WORKSHOP - AFTERNOON - PART 2

June 22 - TAA (9 -12) WONDERLAND WORKSHOP - AFTERNOON - PART 3

June 23 - JOKER ART PROJECT

June 24 - PICNIC IN THE PARK, CROQUET, ART, AND MORE!

June 27th - Found Objects and Fairy Things - Collage & Canvas & Paper Projects

June 28th - Mushrooms - Wonderland Fairy / Gnome Garden - Clay and Assemblage

June 29th -

June 30th - Mad Hatter's Tea Party - Still Life

July 1st. PRIVATE STUDENT / STUDIO TIME / FIELD TRIP DAY!

July 2 (Private Student / Studio Time)

July 3 (Private Student / Studio Time)

Monday - JULY 4TH - ART OUTSIDE / PICNIC / PARTY G.U.A.C.!!! Barbeque!!!

July 5th. - WHITE RABBITS - ANIMAL PAINTING

July 6th. - Curious Cats / Cheshire Cats

July 7th. - CLOCK / Still Life / Pocket Watch /

July 8th. - Mad Hatter's Tea Party - MIXED MEDIA - FIELD TRIP DAY!

August Dates:

August 8th.

August 9th.

August 10th.

August 11th.

August 12th.

More Details will be posted soon.... But if you would like a registration packet.... Please click here!

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Video Portfolio - 2021

Here's a Video Portfolio of my most recent art, lessons, and plein air studies.

 

Autumn and Winter Workshops.... Demonstrations... and more....

Monday Mornings: 10 - 12 / Paint and Play, and a Cup of Coffee!!! 

Still Life Drawing, Painting, and a bit of "Cezanne with Suzanne".  

 or shared as an "Open Studio" opportunity.  Our home schedule with school, dance and band competitions and workshops is quite full, leaving only scant hours here and there for individual lessons.

Check out the these Opportunities: 

On line / Zoom classes can be arranged depending on time, time zone, and my location... (lots of travel).

I am working on getting some recorded lessons on my YouTube channel, and will have a PRIVATE CLASSROOM for those enrolled in the 2021 - 2022 Student Program.

We take photos to enjoy memories of moments that come and go...

Alex

Alex

Fiona

3 Gibsons

David

Alex

This is an example of my portrait style. 

I like to keep it a little loose, yet still realistic.

 

A sample of what you'll learn in my zoom art classes.

Primary Sail Boat!

Upcoming Summer Art Camps:

Zoom Room Studio

June 14 - 18

Session 1 at 10:00 

Session 2 at 11:30 

RSVP and request REGISTRATION PACKET!

 

High School Students: Art & Journaling Workshops / Creative Note Taking and Art Journaling

With all this Home Schooling, and New Parenting... it's hard to keep track of what to do, when to do it, and how to do it... and how to do it effectively.

I find myself re-visiting tricks and suggestions I learned in college, and often thought, why didn't anyone teach this to me when I was in Elementary, Middle and High School.  Not that it was not taught, but not taught in the creative way that made sense to me.  I'm a visual learner.


I recall a time in 7th grade, when I really "BOMBED" a test.  It was an Oral Memorization type of quiz/test and really way out of my comfort zone.  The teacher then gave me an option.  Retake the oral quiz, or rewrite (yes... re-write) the entire chapter of part of the text book.  He wrote his own text book and it was excerpts from Alice in Wonderland.  Whoo-hooo!  I grew up with my father reading Alice to me.  I have a collection of Alice in Wonderland books, and most have beautiful Illustrations.  Therefore, at the time of my 7th grade brain... the idea of spending an entire weekend handwriting the book was not a punishment at all...  A weekend with Alice and the White Rabbit.  I remember that I chose the passages that involved the Dodo Bird, the Walrus and the Carpenter, and the Oysters...

Bring on the Calligraphy Pens and Creative Art Journaling.  

In college, in my very last semester, I had a strange yet rewarding class.... It was directed to all the students in a variety of majors, that all involve "human interaction" - So that basically covers teacher, hospitality workers, human resources, interior designers (me), and psychology majors.  If your profession involves face-time with other humans, then this was where EVERYBODY had to be.

Task number 1 was to take our notebook (which was one of those thick, college ruled, 5 section books) and with a ruler, make a vertical line down each and every page of the first 3 sections.
The Left Side of each was for Taking notes in class.... When she (the professor) said "Highlight" you did take out the Highlighter and mark the word or phrase... this indicated that on the Right Side of the line you would need to research and expand on those notes for homework.   In the days before internet, then it really did mean homework and research!  We had to turn those notebooks in for "Check"

So now, as a mom, as an art teacher, I've developed a method to teach my own kids, and at least share this with all of their school counselors.  I'm an advocate for constructive doodling in the notebook.  There's a right way, or there's the distracted way, and there is a difference.  My goal is to help the Visual Learner use their talent to build upon what they are learning, and yet stay focused!

Please join my "CREATIVE ART JOURNALING" workshop

Customized Schedule for the High School and College Students, and Adults.

Custom Calendar!!!

You will need:  A Composition Book / Notebook

White or Natural Paper

Selection of Pens, Pencils, Colored Pens, Markers, Sharpies.

Glue / Stickers 

Research Ahead of time: YOUR TOPIC OF CHOICE

Drawing a Butterfly....

Here's my Lesson for Drawing a Caterpillar, Chrysalis, and Butterfly.

Enjoy.

April.... 2020

April is not "usual" this year, no matter where you are, who you are, or what do you do, Life is not "Normal".  What is normal, what was normal, is NOT NORMAL anymore.

We are living in a term of "Coronavirus, Covid-19" and it is not a small flu... it is not a passing thing, it is a GLOBAL pandemic.

Pandemic was not a word in my vocabulary as a child. It was a remote idea that came through as a strange new Virus became active in China.... then very quickly has spread from city to country and beyond.

Therefore, since mid March, here in Los Angeles, we have been on "quarantine"... or in my household, QUARANTEEN. 

In my house,

Myself, My husband, and 5 kids...

David is 17, and a Senior in High School
Semaj is also 17, and a Senior in High School
Alexander is 16, and a Sophomore in High School.
Fiona is 14, and in 8th Grade
Victoria is 11, and in 6th Grade.

Learning how to adapt to on-line learning /e-school for all 5 at once has been a challenge.  And although it looks like the kids MIGHT be back in the classroom in May.... I'm not counting on it.  It is quite possible that David and Semaj wont get a Graduation Ceremony... I don't really know.  Until the social distancing is figured out in classrooms (6 feet between each student?) we don't have a clear picture of what is expected.  I don't think the schools and professionals know this answer yet either.

So a change in attitude, behavior and so much more is underway.  It's all a learning process.

I've been keeping myself busy, and focused, by keeping my art/teaching schedule as NORMAL as possible.  I've certainly embraced on-line instruction, videos and Interactive Art Lessons.

Here are just a few images of what I've done in the past two weeks...

ART LESSON: FISH

This is a step by step introduction to HOW TO PAINT A FISH

You will need:

Watercolor Paper / Mixed Media Paper
Watercolor Crayons / Crayons / Water Paints
A Small Paper Plate (to use as a template)


Step ONE...  Using the Small Paper Plate.  Trace around and create several Circles that Overlap.  I usually do about 10 on the paper.
Some go off the page, and they certainly overlap.


With a Second Crayon / or Different Color...  Go Fishing.
This is where we "Find Fish" in the overlapping circles.
I've demonstrated this with a RED FISH and two BLUE FISHES


Adding color to the fish... then define the bubbles and water around the fish.  Section by section.

Add Water / Watercolor as you go.

To see the full video, please visit my FB Art School Page /
@SuzanneGibsonArtist or e-mail me and ask for the Art Lesson: Fish!

March 18th - Play with your Food!

We are home again, or home still... and it's time to think about what we are doing in the kitchen to keep our family interested, and it's only the 3rd or 4th day?  We could be in this for a while.

So... What's on your Plate?  When the kids were a little younger, I was docent in their classrooms for a Food and Nutrition program.  This was the introduction of "healthy plates" in comparison to the old "Food Pyramid" which I grew up learning about...

With Nutrition Labels and Balanced Plate Education... It makes us question what is on our plates.


Here are a few coloring pages to help you get the kids, and yourselves, thinking about what you could do for dinner. Balancing the fast with fresh. Being aware of how much good, bad and ugly is in our processed food.  How much salt, sugar, and preservatives or chemicals are  in packaging too....