Full Moon Studios

  Laurie Sucharda 501 W. Oakland Ave Port Washington, WI 53074 fullmoonartist@yahoo.com

262-284-4852

Born: Oconto, WI 1961

 

Artist Statement:

     I am drawn to art because it gives me the ability to show others what I see and feel walking around in my daily life. When someone asks what media I use, I will answer oil paints. But I also love watercolor, pencil, pastel, collage, sewing, doll making, fibers and quilting, even crayon if it helps to create my images. I make art journals as a way of exploring themes and ideas for my paintings.

     For 10 years, I worked as an art therapist, helping others to find and explore their creativity. An chronic illness has brought the passion to exhibit and share my own art work back to center stage of my art career. Working with people who live with chronic illness and then dealing with my own, I find there is enough angst , depression, anger and other common art themes in the world. I want to celebrate the joy, beauty laughter, fun, and irony that is present. And I want to show you the world as I see it. I have a "lazy eye". What that means physically is that my eye "wanders" and I do not have three dimensional vision. Various advisors and experts told me I would never make a good artist because of this. Well, I am here to say, art like beauty, really is in the eye of the beholder.

     I paint gardens because I love the color and growth that happens each spring, with or without our help. I paint my kitchen utensils, quilts and other collectibles to remember and celebrate the home life of my grandmothers, myself, and many other women have lead. I put fantasy in my paintings to remember and celebrate a time when I believed in fairys, moon maidens and the fun found in myth and children’s faith. And I paint wild nature, the escape, from the middle of a friend’s fishing boat. I also paint my ideas, dreams, and wishes, that without art, others would never see.

Studies:

Mt Mary College, 1996, Masters of Science in Art Therapy

Ripon College, 1994, Studio Art and Psychology

Watercolor with Nita Engle 1994

Art Instruction Schools 1984

Selected Exhibits:
MARN Paint The Valley 2010
Cedarburg “Littles” Miniature Show 2009(juried)
Cedarburg Plein Air Event 2000 - 2010
Wauwautosa Plein Air Event 2010
Cedarburg Fine Arts Guild Fall Show 2008,2009,2010(juried)
The Great Frame Up (3 person invitational show) 2009
Ozaukee County Art Show 2009 (juried)
UW Madison Hospital Exhibit 2008
Stones ’n Water, Sheboygan, WI 2007
Monona Terrace Gift Shop, Madison, WI 2007
New Adventure Studio, Wauwatosa, 2001
Art Therapy Invitational, Cedarburg Cultural Center 1998 (juried)

Numerous Retail Art Shows and Fairs since 1977 including:

Firefly Art Fair, Wauwatosa, 2010

Tosa Plein Air Event 2010

Cedarburg Plein Air Event 2000 - 2010

Spread Eagle Art Fair 2006, 2007, 2008,2009,2010

Donna Lexa Memorial Art Fair 2007

Art in The Garden, Cedarburg 2006,2007, 2008

Artarama, Eagle River 2008, 2009

 

Awards:
2010 MARN Paint The Valley - Best of Show, First Place Sculpture
2009 Ozaukee County Art Show - Blue Ribbon Merit Award
2007, 2008, 2009 Wisconsin Valley Art Association Purchase Award

Bibliography:
News Graphic, Sept. 16, 2002, The Art of Healing The Soul, Chris Maier
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 21, 2000, “Art of Living” Exhibit, Susan Crawford

Collections:
Bethel Nursing Home, Oshkosh, WI
Ripon College, Ripon, WI
Hartford Memorial Hospital, Hartford, WI
Private Collections: National and International

Galleries:
Main Street Gallery, Cedarburg, WI

Fibber Mc Gee's Closet, Plymouth, WI

Smith Brother's Coffee, Port Washington, WI