Family, Art, Nature, and God are Professor's Passions
Susan Bell, associate professor of art at Gardner-Webb for 25 years, is presenting a gallery of her work in the Communications Study Hall at GWU. The central theme of her paintings are, "Roots and Wings." These paintings were completed mostly during her sabbatical during the spring and summer of 2009. Viewers of the gallery can expect to see watercolor paintings of old family photographs, landscapes and treescapes, birds, shells, flowers, and many different collages.
Bell created the "Roots and Wings" theme because it has meaning to her in a figurative and literal sense. The "Roots" meaning identifies with the literal sense that she likes to draw parts of nature- especially trees, which have roots. In another sense, she implies that focus on family is very important- her own roots. Her family roots are evident in her collages, which include old sheet music, stamp collections, cards that represent her family in some way.
The "Wings" part of her gallery is also literal and figurative. In a literal sense, she enjoys painting birds. In a figurative sense, she recognizes her freedom to experiment with her paintings that in essence, gives "wings" to her soul. She has explored new techniques in her paintings, such as: scraping her paintings to reveal layers, and also doing negative paintings. Her works include representational and non-representational paintings, as well as realistic and abstract paintings. Bell also wanted to share, "Faith informs my work, I am aware of the hand of God in nature".
Her love for nature is rooted in the inspiration of the Virginia countryside where she grew up. Bell has master's degrees in Christian Education and Art Education and attends master workshops yearly. She has also traveled to over 10 foreign countries to study in the museums in addition to the over 60 museums in the US. Her award winning work is in the collection of a wide variety of individuals and corporations, including Wytheville Community College, First National Bank, Dover YMCA, Shelby Presbyterian Church and Wake Forest University.
Bell's "Roots and Wings" exhibit will stay on display until November 1. On October 31, there will be a reception for alumni and friends between 11am-1pm. All her paintings are for sale. Other work done by Bell can be seen at the Buffalo Creek Gallery on Warren Street in Shelby, N.C.
Located in Boiling Springs, NC, Gardner-Webb University is home to nearly 4,000 students from 37 states and 23 foreign countries.