About Susan Paterson
“I am thrilled to be included in this exhibit for so many reasons,” says Dartmouth, Nova Scotia artist Susan Paterson. “Hosting a Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour annual exhibit in Halifax is rare (only twice before) and exciting, but to have their 100th Anniversary exhibit here is even more exciting honour for our province.”
For more than 40 years, Susan has been reclaiming the role of “realism” in her art, once overlooked as old-fashioned and trite. She has successfully achieved an award-winning career by approaching realistic still lifes with an intricate hand.
"Strawberries and Cream", her work in the Open Water 100 exhibition, “is a continuation of my fascination with the still life genre. I love exploring the textures and reflections of silver, glass and fabric against a dark background. Usually my compositions are almost monochromatic, but occasionally I like to add contrast with a really bright colour, in this case the red of ripe strawberries.”
Susan has exhibited extensively across Canada since the early ’80s, presenting more than 30 solo exhibits and many more group shows including the 15th International Art Renewal Salon Live Exhibition, Sotheby’s, New York and MEAM, Barcelona, Spain, 2021. Her work was featured in “Terrior, a Nova Scotia Survey” in 2016 at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and is part of several private and public collections.
In her own words: “My work evokes the past, both in technique and in subject. I do highly detailed studies of landscape, florals and everyday objects, capturing the subtleties of the light, colour and textures that are so fascinating but so often overlooked. When I’m painting, I love getting lost in the details and the challenge of creating an illusion that explains how I feel about what I see.”
A Haligonian native, Susan attended Mount Allison University in the 1970s, chosen specifically because the art department favoured realism as part of its teaching. Graduating in 1980 with her Bachelor of Fine Arts, she later studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and continues to work today, inspired by her home, her garden and the countryside of Nova Scotia.
“I'm very happy that my painting was chosen to be a part of this prestigious exhibit,” says Susan. “There will be watercolours by talented artists from around the world and I'm looking forward to not only seeing their work and but also to meeting them in person. I've been involved with the Society for almost 30 years and it's always so nice to get out of the studio and get together and catch up with other artists from near and far.”
Weekly until September 9, read about the six Maritime artists featured in the Open Water 2025 exhibition organized by the Canadian Society of Water Colour Painters, on display from September 11 to October 2.