About
SUSAN LYNN GESUNDHEIT
I am an artist in monotype, watercolor, acrylic, collage and encaustic. I like to work in layers, textures, and expressive color.
I graduated from UCLA in Painting/Sculpture/Design/Graphic Art in 1974. I careered in graphic design for Familian Corp until 1982, designing newsletters and advertisements. In 1991 I joined a watercolor class at Everywomen's Village in Van Nuys taught by Alex Vilumsons. He attached metaphysical approaches to color and right brain drawing techniques that I had never come across before. The class was also a community of artists I am still involved with today, Artist Co-op 7. I had my first group show with them and still exhibit in their venues around the city.
When Alex passed away, Artist Co-op 7 continued, and I was invited to join the Art Panel and teach classes. The Village closed, so we moved to the American Jewish University in 2000, and then to San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center in 2017. I partner-teach Watercolor in Winter Session and Figure Drawing Fall Session. SFVACC has now shut its doors, but we continue to teach online. www.sfvacc.org
In 2004 I went with professor Ruth Weisberg and a group of artists to Florence, Italy to print at the Santa Reparata International School of Art. Ruth demonstrated the basic methods of monotype and we worked for a week discovering our own methods. We visited Italy twice more to a friend's farmhouse studio and lodge at Giogalto in Tuscany. More trips followed: painting in Norway, China, and then a painting/printing experience in Jerusalem.
I maintain a print studio in Ventura in addition to my home studio, and print in retreat with friends in Santa Ynez.
Today I continue at all my involvements: Artist Co-op 7, Art Panel and Instructor; Collage Artists of America; Women Painters West; Valley Watercolor Society; USC Hillel Art Gallery, Chair; Jewish Artists Initiative; Los Angeles Printmaking Society; California Art League; Frayed Edges; Women's Caucus; USC Roski School of Art and Design, Board of Councilors.