Sue Coleman: The Transformer

The Transformer captures a certain west coast, Salish mood. I like it, but then again, I respond favourably to impressionistic art.

My left hemisphere wants to nail this down - you know what I mean - this means this and that means that. But does it really matter what it says? In some ways, this is about space and containment and height. The tall pole like structures are jumbled together like a grove of aspens. There is barely any space between them, and you can almost can feel the pressure of coastal rainforest overgrowth, crowding in around you.

But there is more than that. The aspens if they are aspens have carved designs. Are they trees or are they carved poles? Maybe this is the point. There is a kind of naturalness about it all...as if to say that Salish art is not just part of the life of the coastal native people, but it is a product of the environment. And, where does it begin and where does it end? See what I mean? And when answers fail us, all that remains is emotion and the feeling of the human restriction.

Artist's Comments:

I am always fascinated with the perspective of others when they look at my paintings. Sometimes I have no real direction when I start a piece and when I do it quite often it takes off in a totally different direction entirely.
This was one of those pieces that had a mind of it's own. I was trying to hide the spirit if the Raven (Transformer) in with the trees. I wanted to blend him into his habitat to give the feeling that he is all around and watching you when you are out in the woods.

I'm not sure if it worked but I had fun doing it. The colours are not vibrant and it is a rather somber piece but it is very much West Coast especially in the fall or winter.

If you wish to see more of the works in Sue's gallery please click here.

Sue Coleman of Cowichan Bay, British Columbia

Strange how life works. I was on Vancouver Island about seven years ago, watching the Mann Cup, lacrosse championships being played out between the Victoria Shamrocks and the Peterborough Lakers. During the days between games, my wife and I would drive around the Island.

Somewhere along the way I chanced upon some cards produced by Sue Coleman. I was intriqued by the way she blended native mythological symbols into her artwork.
After I began producing the blog, I tracked Sue down through her website.

Sue, lives in Cowichan Bay. She and her husband and daughter operate a publishing business (Coleman and Coleman Enterprises).

Sue has been painting for about 30 years, although she confesses that like most artists she was born with the gift of natural talent.
Sue prefers painting in watercolours, and she says:

I realize now that oils and acrylics can be so controlled that they are not exciting. There is no challenge in their creation. Mistakes can be covered up, not so in aquarelle. I don't use white paint so each painting has to be planned and thought through carefully. Even so I find there is more freedom working with flowing water than with stiff oil paints.

Sue would be the first to tell you that she enjoys capturing the play of light and reflections on water. And as most watercolourists will tell you, this is more easily said then done.




Sue has managed to create a reputation for herself at a time when many BC galleries have had a reserved attitude towards watercolour painting. And what a reputation! Sue's works have appeared at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. She has painted and taught art on cruise ships on the Alaskan passage, and she has been a guest artist at the Epcot Centre in the United States.

Sue reminds me, in one sense, of Emily Carr insomuch as she is also a writer. Sue is presently working on a novel. Sue demonstrates the same kind of respect and admiration for native culture and art that Emily Carr experienced.

You are invited to check out her delightful gallery of works. Please click here to be taken to her website.