Art & Life with Sue Burke Harrington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Burke Harrington.

Sue, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Art has been my passion as long as I can remember. As a young child I was always drawing or painting. In the middle of Michigan, Alma to be precise, there is a strong cultural base and those wonderful people encouraged me, including my parents, to pursue a life in fine arts. I earned my studio arts degree just before marrying and moving on to other areas of the country, where I continued to study art I enjoyed all mediums, including film, printmaking, painting, pottery and jewelry, but one has to choose and my first love is painting, I love the movement, the colors and the expressiveness! My husband’s father was with Kodak, so I also learned to love photography and I find each medium enhances the other. Along the way, I became proficient in technology as well and began to create digital photo collages, often including them in my paintings or my paintings in them. I prefer to work in the abstract, I think it allows freedom of thought for both the artist and the viewer. I have raised a family, buried a husband, and art has carried me through the ups and downs of life. It is where I always know what to do, and who I am.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
In both my paintings and my digital photo collages, I am looking for the soul of the idea. I want to look into the why it happens, not just the existence. I work with layers in acrylics, photographs, and related media to create abstract works that typically reflect multi-themed visualizations. I focus on embedding emotion, often conflict, into my creations. My goal is to draw the viewer into the piece and to fully reflect the underlying theme, conveying that emotion or idea independently and without distractions.

Once I begin the process, I am immersed in the flow of the paint, and the layers of shapes and lines in both photographs and paintings. The reactions of the colors to each other that often takes my work in unexpected directions. I am concerned with the composition throughout the project, if it does not work, the ideas will be lost.
I love to experiment, try new things and ideas. In the end ideas are exchanged and a new conversation is created via the artwork, the artist and the viewer.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
I enjoy the internet, it ‘a great source of information, and marketing. However, to stay up with the latest trends in exhibiting your work, marketing it etc., one must spend a great deal of time online, which is a major distraction! I do believe that we need to have a set amount of time that we do our art each day and it’s necessary to remove the distractions to get it done!!

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Currently, my work can be seen at Mossrock Gallery in The Woodlands, TX as well as in my studio in The Woodlands. Please email first to be sure I am welcoming guests, art takes quiet moments. I will be in the “Layering Within and Without” exhibition in Shelton, Washington August 10th to September 18th, 2018. My art can be seen online at www.sueburkeharrington.com, www.sburkeharrington.com, and www.artists-galleries.com.
Buying my art is the best way to support it!!

Contact Info:

• Address: 62 Tapestry Forest Place, The Woodlands, TX, 77381
• Website: www.sueburkeharrington.com
• Email: sburkeart@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sburkeart/
• Facebook: Sue Burke Harrington, Artist
• Other: www.sburkeharrington.com

Image Credit:
Sue Burke Harrington

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