Interview
Suzette Della Flora Russo
Suzette has always appreciated art but has no formal training. She has worked with mosaic art, acrylic paint and water color and drawing, the latter two being her passion right now. Suzette started her creative journey mostly just for herself and to share with family and friends, but hopes to get it out into the world so others can enjoy it and hopefully appreciate it too!
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in The States, Toledo, Ohio in 1966. I loved growing up in the 70's and wouldn’t change it for anything. I moved to Denmark as a young adult. I have 3 adult children and work as a midwife in Denmark and Norway. My father was an artist. He was a jazz musician from a young age and later began painting and sculpting. So, my appreciation for art comes from him. Our home was always filled with music, art and a lot of color. Both my mom and dad were vibrant and creative and I’ll forever be grateful for their influence. My debut with art was working with mosaics. My inspiration was a large round coffee table in our living room that my dad had tiled back in the 70's. My first attempt was a mosaic serving tray and over the course of a few years I continued with vases, flower pots, urns, wall hangings and tables. I found it very satisfying the way the grout would surround each piece individually, connecting and emphasizing each piece at the same time. I dabbled with a few paintings over the years and took a few classes - but it never took off completely. After losing my father last year I started feeling the need to paint and draw and found it very therapeutic. It made me feel closer to him, like he was still creating but through me, like we were creating together.”
What inspires you?
“My children, the love I have for my family and friends and the beauty of colors, how they complement and contrast one another, creating a sense of vibration; the emotions they can bring out and allow us to feel. In our living space, in nature, and right down to what we wear to express ourselves, color can have a profound effect on what we're feeling. Music has always been an inspiration in my life as well, it can turn a bad day completely around or allow you to feel what you need to feel to move on, maybe something suppressed - bring it to the surface, enable flow again - whether it be grief or joy.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“How we're all connected. Even in our isolation and when we feel lonely, it's important to remember that we all come from the same place. As different as we can be from each other, we can and should aim to find connection and solace- even from strangers, remembering that we are all related. Whether it be something as simple as acknowledging somebody's existence with a smile or even a nod when walking down the street, or by expressing ourselves with and sharing music and art to awaken each other's souls, bring forth what lies dormant. I believe we all long for beauty in our lives in some way shape or form. I guess the underlying theme in my art is love and connection.”
How would you describe your work?
“Vibrant, joyful, intuitive and soothing. This series I’ve been working on this past year reminds me a lot of stained glass, which i already had always admired, but truly gained an appreciation for when I began mosaicking; it’s translucency and the way light shines through it really resonates with me. A couple of the paintings from that series have an underwater feel to them as well. To me, water can be so soothing and healing, whether submerged in it or even just the sound of it.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Sonia King, Gustav Klimt, Mark Rothko, Richard Burlet and Robert Burridge.”
“Music has always been an inspiration in my life as well, it can turn a bad day completely around or allow you to feel what you need to feel to move on, maybe something suppressed - bring it to the surface, enable flow again - whether it be grief or joy.”
What is your creative process like?
“It always starts with which colors i want to work with. Then they just take off and evolve into something. This past year is the first I've used watercolors. I used to paint with acrylics but found watercolors so much more interesting and pleasing to the eye. I suppose you could call it intuitive art. I find shapes in the colors and try to emphasize those by layering more color and outlining. That's what my creative process is like so far, though i have a lot to learn and there's plenty of room for improvement.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“To remind us of our humanity. To make life along with its hardships more bearable, by bringing us back to ourselves and who we are at our core. By taking time to appreciate art, we allow ourselves the possibility to be mesmerized, stimulated, enchanted, in awe- in essence, to feel. Especially in this era of technology, social media, smart phones and screens; In the name of trying to stay connected, what happens instead is just the opposite. We end up isolating ourselves from the rest of the world and from what matters. So, I think the role of an artist in society is to awaken and enliven us, to spark emotion, to enable us to feel or understand something in a new way. ”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“No, I'm just getting started. I'd like to work on getting my art out there though. Currently, I'm selling my watercolors on Etsy as prints and working on a web page. My next series that I'm working on is going to be on a larger scale size wise. My watercolors until now have been smaller in size. Id like to work towards my paintings feeling as though you’re stepping into and being inside of them, inside of the colors. I hope to do some networking and contact some local galleries and cafes here in Copenhagen, see if anybody is interested in my work.”
Website: dellaflorarussoarts.etsy.com
Instagram: @dellaflorarusso.arts
