Meet the Winthrop Gallery’s newest co-op member, oil painter Susan Donahue.

Susan paints landscapes of the Methow Valley and other places that she visits.  She also paints still lifes.  “In my landscape paintings, I present a specific time and place so that the viewer can have an emotional response to the scene similar to what I experienced,” says Susan. “In my still lifes, I aim to elevate objects by placing them in a formal context so the viewer can respond emotionally to the beauty of simple things that they see all the time.”

Susan says her creative process involves selecting a landscape or a still life motif that moves her.  “Once I’ve selected my subject, I think about how to arrange it—how to compose the landscape, what the dimensions of the paintings should be, or how to arrange the simple objects of a still life and how to light it for the best effect,” explains Susan.  “I want to recreate for the viewer the attachment and feelings I have for my subject matter.  Key elements in creating a good oil painting are to paint what you love and to think about what you are doing, to observe carefully and then to let the creative process take over while you apply the paint to the canvas so that you are in that creative zone where surprising things happen.  A good oil painting conveys the artist’s response to the viewer and prompts a strong, emotional response in the viewer.  So, ultimately the viewer is the key element of a good oil painting.  I paint for the viewer’s response.”

LOCATION/HOURS: The Winthrop Gallery is located at 237 Riverside in downtown Winthrop.  Fall Gallery hours: 10am to 5pm, Thursday through Monday.  INFO: 509-996-3925, www.winthropgallery.com.