Suzanne Hull Crosthwait San Ramon, CA wcbyshc@aol.com
Milestones
1954 Born in Gainesville, TX; childhood in Houston, TX
1972 Denton, TX; Dallas, TX; Studio City, CA; Canoga Park, CA
1980 Dallas, TX; Houston, TX
1988 Glendale, CA; Oak Park, CA
1997 Tiburon, CA; Mill Valley, CA
2003 San Ramon, CA
Education
1976 BFA in Drawing and Painting; University of North Texas, Denton, TX
At a time when most art majors were painting in acrylics, I was fascinated by wet-on-wet
watercolors and was the first at UNT to receive the majority of my painting credits in
watercolor.
1999 Julie Cohen Watercolor Reflections course; College of Marin, Kentfield, CA
watercolors and was the first at UNT to receive the majority of my painting credits in
watercolor.
1999-2000 Nancy Johnson Watercolor courses; College of Marin, Kentfield, CA
2000 Julie Cohen Large Format Watercolors Workshop; College of Marin,Kentfield, CA
2002 Greeting Card Business, College of Marin, Kentfield, CA
2005 Birgit O'Conner-Atmospheric Landscapes Workshop, Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, CA
2006 Mel Stabin 5-day Watercolor Workshop, Art in the Mountains, Bend, OR
Teaching
2001 Beginning Watercolor, Artisans, Mill Valley, CA
Juried Shows
2/2000 ‘SF Across the Bay’ (painted by candlelight); Night Vision show, Artisans,Mill Valley, CA
1/2002 ‘Hearts on Fire’ & ‘Yellow Freesia’; Miniature Masterpieces show, Artisans
6/2002 ‘Iceberg & Cecile Roses’ (Merit Award), Blossoms show, Artisans
9/2002 ‘Mt. Tam’, Scenes of Mill Valley show, Artisans
11/2002 ‘Heirloom Tomatoes and Sunflowers’ & ‘Eggplant from the Vine’; Bon Appetite show,
Artisans, Mill Valley, CA
9/2003 'Red Sunflowers & Pears', 'Winter Whites,' & 'Donna's Daffodils'; Fall Show,
CWA Gallery, Blackhawk, CA
4/2006 'Two Iris' (1st place-water media) & 'Red Tulips & Promises of Spring' (Honorable Mention),
ADAS-Gala Spring Art Show, Danville Fine Arts Gallery, Danville, CA
10/2006 'Two Iris', California Watercolor Association, 38th Annual National Show, Academy of Art
Univeristy, San Francisco, CA
4/2008 'Coral Tulips' and 'Copenhagen & Yellow Roses', ADAS-Spring Art Show, Pioneer Art Gallery,
Danville, CA
3/6-28/2010 'Pink Peonies: Romance & Prosperity' (Honorable Mention) and 'Daffodils & Cuties',
33rd Anual ADAS Spring Art Show; Blackhawk Gallery, Danville, CA
7/14 to 'Pink Peonies: Romance & Prosperity', California Watercolor Association, 41st Annual
9/16/2010 National Exhibition, The Presidio Officers' Club Exhibition Hall, 50 Moraga Avenue,
San Francisco
Featured Shows
3/2001 Featured Artist; Vernal Equinox show, Artisans Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
9 &10/2009 Northern Light Gallery (2 woman show with my Mom, Jeannie M. Hull), Spring Lake
Village, Santa Rosa, CA
Group Exhibitions & Festivals
1999-2003 Artisans, Mill Valley, CA
5/2002 Marin Open Studios Gallery/Marin Arts Council, Corte Madera, CA
9/2000-02 Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, Artisans Booth, Mill Valley, CA
10/2004 Art in the Park; Danville, CA
9/2005 Open Studio, San Ramon, CA
9/2005 San Ramon Art Walk & Wine Festival, San Ramon, CA
6/2008 Open Studio Gala: Danville Community Center
6/2008 Lindsay Dirkx Brown Art Gallery, 'Red Tulips & Cranberries' and'Benjamin & Birthday
Tulips', San Ramon Community Center.
6/2008 Open Studios of the San Ramon Valley, San Ramon Community Center.
10/2008 ArtWalk 2008, Livermore, CA
6/2001-09 Marin Art Festival at the Lagoon, San Rafael, CA
8/2004-09 Art in the Garden; Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden, Fort Bragg, CA
5/1/2010 Art, Wine & Chocolate - Fundraiser to Benefit Camp Kadima 7-10 pm, Little Valley Winery, 739 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA
6/19&20/2010 Marin Art Festival at the Lagoon, San Rafael, CA www.MarinArtFestival.com
8/7/2010 Art in the Garden; Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden, Fort Bragg, CA
9/25/2010 Healdsburg Arts Festival, Historic Downtown Square, Healdsburg, CA
Memberships
1999-2003 Artisans, Mill Valley, CA – Exhibiting Member
2002 Artisans, President, Board of Directors (Board Member 2000-2003)
1999-2002 Marin Arts Council, San Rafael, CA – Member
2000-2001 Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival Committee – Member
2006-2007 Arts & Craft Cooperative Inc (ACCI Gallery), Berkeley, CA – Member
2001-present California Watercolor Association – Member
2008-present Livermore Art Association – Member
2008-present Alamo Danville Artists Society (ADAS) – Member
Statement
Inspired by the beauty of shape and color found in nature, I naturally gravitate to a palate of pure, clean color to express myself. I take the comment that my paintings are "happy" as a compliment, as I strive to find the joy in life, and happiness in simple pleasures. I enjoy the time spent drawing as much as the painting. My paintings take advantage of the impulsive qualities unique to watercolor as I contrast uncontrolled wetness in confined spaces with dry control for detail.
In addition to painting, my other passion is gardening…and much like my enjoyment of each process of the painting, I love the digging, planting and pruning as much as the enjoyment of the fruits of my labor. I can’t wait to pull off all the leaves of the Winter rose bush and wait for the first glorious roses of Spring on my seven rose bushes…so I can start a new painting.
As a third generation artist, appreciation of beauty and artistic expression has been a part of my entire life. Although I graduated with a BFA in Drawing and Painting in 1976, it would be 23 years before I picked up another paint brush—except to paint my walls. However, when my daughter left for college, I returned to art to fill the void and rediscovered it was a very fulfilling passion.
My artist mother has been my mentor and champion since I was old enough to hold a paint brush and today is the only person whose critique I take to heart. My art is truly a family undertaking as my father makes my archival prints (Digitalworks13) and spends endless, patient hours on the computer to achieve the truest colors possible for my archival prints.
