My name is Susan Keippel.

      I have lived in Tucson from the early 1950’s and am a graduate of the University of Arizona with a minor degree in Art and a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. Later, I earned my Masters of Arts in Human Development with an emphasis on Early Child Development and the

Developmental Psychologies from St. Mary’s College, Winona MN., and published ABC”s for Families (abcsforfamilies.com), a book supporting early-

life development and parenting/caregiving the infant/toddler.

     My love of art began as a child watching my mother enjoy painting with her oils.  “When Mom was behind the easel, all was well with the world,” was a motto I adopted.

      I always wanted to paint with an emphasis on color.  After becoming a mother myself, I loved reading with our children and came upon a delightful book about Frederick the Mouse, who was the one in his community

who gathered colors for the dark days of winter that were ahead.  When those days arrived and all the mice were weary of the gloom and doom of the cold, dark environment, Frederick pulled out his verses 

exclaiming the beautiful colors he had collected.  In this exposition, I feel like Fredric, displaying all the colors I have collected.

      Attending studio classes at age 11 with John Law Walker, I learned abstract design.  It was at this time that my passion for creativity was born and nurtured as I observed artists in this setting as they learned about 

composition, perspective, color, light, and design—along with expressing these concepts in oil.  Walker introduced wood sculpture, three-dimensional design and skills involving sculpting to me.  Later, exploring ceramics at the University of Arizona with Maurice Grossman, I won

mention at the Pima County Fair for a sculpted clay piece I did at that time. I was inspired and my interest for self-expression through the arts was lit, and I have continued with classes being inspired by peer artists throughout

 my adult life.

     As an oil artist I have now returned to abstract design after studying with Lino Laure, and learned the joy of creating in the Abstract Botanical Style. And, based on my love for the French Impressionists, I have created a style of expressive-impressionism.