Suzanne M. Falk

matches do more than light cigarettes (dedicated to Faye M. Larkin), oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in

fucking the hardy boys, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in

canary in the coal mine, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 in

the ringmaster’s secret, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in

march of the innocent, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in

butterfield 8, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in

the defenders of sweet dreams, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in 

“Setting up a new still life for my next large painting.”

Artist Statement

Self-taught painter Suzanne Falk paints photo realistic vignettes that focus on dreams, wishes, and things that are too hard to describe in words. Suzanne uses objects she collects from yard sales, thrift stores, gifts, and found objects from daily walks through the cemetery in her backyard. She also gathers objects from the desert where she has lived her whole life. The found items are used to tell a story, personal to the artist but that she hopes will find new life in the viewer.

When I was a young girl, before I could even read, I would pore over books like The Addams Family and make up my own stories for the drawings. When I grew up I realized they had another meaning, I find this happens in my work. I often have a specific story that I am thinking about when I set up my still-lifes but by the time I finish a painting (this can take up to 3 months), the painting has evolved and I am surprised to see the story has continued and find answers to questions I didn’t know I would have when started. There is nothing more satisfying than sitting back to see a completed painting and find that the end of the story is still a surprise. I love to talk about the story behind each painting but only if asked. I like when my work finds a new home and a new story with someone else. Although on the surface my work is cheery and bright there is always an undercurrent of something that is too hard to put into words – something I think we all deal with, past hurts or failed dreams, sadness, fear, anxiety, but I want to show there is always light, there is always some hope, some magic just when we need it if we hang in there.

Suzanne is a member of the Oil Painters of America and an honorary member of the L.A. Art Girls and has performed at the Getty. She has shown in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Cologne. She maintains a studio in Phoenix, Arizona. Suzanne has most recently received a public art grant from the city of Phoenix for and installation piece downtown. She teaches beginning oil painting at the Scottsdale Artists School.

Suzanne M Falk’s Website