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        Susan Timmons Macintire is a painter and pastelist residing in Lewes, Delaware. Her paintings involve far more than canvas, oil paint, and pastels. She bases proportions on the Golden Ratio of 1.618, the same divine formula used by great masters such as Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Fun and bold colors make Susie's style unique. The artist states, "I love painting big flowers, especially hibiscus and bird of paradise." Flowers are her specialty now, but the former nurse started out fifteen years ago painting turtles. "Turtles. I knew turtles. As a little girl, I had one and got one for my granddaughter, named Squashy." It was a portrait of Squashy titled “Painted Turtle” that launched Susie's Art. 


        To Susie, every living thing has its own personality; flowers, animals, sea life, especially crustacean, even waves and water itself. Her goal as an artist is to invite

each subject to live on her canvas, within her special world of colorful whimsy. "I try to bring movement into each painting. When I see it move, come to life, I know I'm on the right track.”

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        She paints from still life, plein air, memory, and photos. Ideas come from friends, customers, photographers, and other artists. "I enjoy the audience of customers, friends, grandchildren, and family while I paint. They're a great inspiration. As we all know, art warms your heart. So I enjoy including them." Introspective and humble when asked about her work, she credits her creator as the source of her talent. "My talent came from my higher power. But art technique is an ongoing learning process," she said. Susie's Art has been exhibited in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, and West Virginia.

 

        Other artists have been especially generous, willing to teach and inspire her. "My style is New Renaissance Art, which is realism. In 2015, I had a wonderful art experience studying with Libby Berry in a course called School of Living Colors, on beautiful Whidbey Island in Washington State. I'm one of over 400 students who gather at various locations to paint together. It's like a fun reunion with laughs, dining out, sharing food, knowledge, and experiences. Painting is hard work. Learning how to see takes time." 

 

        Sometimes it's her mind's eye. Other times she sees something in photographs. Fond memories of crabbing in Rehoboth Bay inspired a crab painting titled "Deep Blue.” A photo of a cow on a rainy day in Ireland inspired “Charlotte of Valencia.” A grade school friend's Facebook post, a double bird of paradise, inspired her award-winning flower painting, “Beautiful Nature.” And her recent “1908 Heritage Lighthouse” sprung from the work of a photographer friend. But painting is not always fun. Her process is tedious, exacting, and time-consuming, especially oil painting. "I use mainly realism, occasionally venturing into modem art, impressionism, and abstract. I dabble in pastels, but use mainly oils, and mainly Old Holland oil paints, the best quality oil paints." Each style, each medium, requires different techniques. In realism, paintings are mathematically accurate. Each "golden section" requires precise measurements. She determines in advance exactly which paints to use by building a unique color-tone scale for each painting. "There's a lot more to it than people realize. Some paintings take years to complete and even after completion, oils must cure for months before prints can be made." Being an artist has taught her patience. 

 

        She currently works out of two home studios and a retail studio at Lavender Fields Farm, located just west of Lewes, DE. "I'm so grateful to the people at Lavender Fields for providing me so many things to paint. I believe it is by fate and karma that I'm exhibiting my art there.”

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