SUZANNE McKAY
Capturing the Western and Rural Landscape

Born in Southern California in 1944, most of Suzanne's childhood was spent in the wide open spaces of the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, and in the rural farmlands of Northern Illinois.  With this early country influence, her work naturally reveals her love for the land and for the rural way of life.  She describes herself as a Realist painter, with a hint of Impressionism.

Basically self-taught, Suzanne (Goodson) McKay began selling her work at age fifteen, when she won several awards for her paintings and sculptures at the San Bernardino County Fair, in California.

She attended Biola College (now Biola University), in La Mirada, California, majoring in Education and minoring in Art.  Throughout her college years, she was a member of the La Mirada Artists' Colony and exhibited at numerous art shows on weekends.  For the college, she painted a huge pastoral-scene mural, 100 feet wide and 30 feet high, for a missionary conference.  She was also Art Editor of the yearbook in her senior year.  After moving to Downey, California, she was an active member of the Downey Art League.  She also exhibited on weekends with a group of artists on Wilshire Boulevard, in Los Angeles.
 
In 1971, as a wife and mother of one, she moved to Portland, Oregon.  There, she heard of a small group of artists trying to form an art club.  She became involved, and held various offices in what would become the Portland Fine Arts Guild, including the offices of secretary, treasurer, program chairman, judging chairman, and president.

From 1973 to 1978, she taught Watercolor, Drawing, Basic Design, and Life Drawing at Mt. Hood Community College.  By the time 1978 arrived, she had four children, so she became a stay-at-home mom . . . with a studio.  She continued painting, holding occasional art workshops, and having one-woman shows in several local galleries.

Suzanne divorced in 1981, raising her children solo and working full-time, but she still found time for her art.  She painted portraits at mall exhibits; had a space at Portand's Saturday Market; and for many years was the featured artist in monthly shows at various artsy gift shops, restaurants, espresso cafes, businesses, and even an architectural showroom.

For the last several years, Suzanne has held quarterly, "Open Studio" showings of her work in pencil, charcoal, watercolor, pastel, acrylic and oil.  Her basic theme, which she calls "A Vanishing America," springs from an emotional desire to capture the remnants of a bygone era.  This includes abandoned ranches, farms, barns, and the landscape surrounding them.  She also loves ghost towns, along with the exciting stories they hold.

Through the years, she has studied with many regionally-known and nationally-known artists, including Darwin Duncan, George Hamilton, Phil Tyler, Sharon Smith, E. John Robinson, Del Gish, and Eric Jacobsen.

Currently, she is a member of the Portland Plein-Aire Painters and also does solo outdoor painting.  Having recently bought a vintage Airstream trailer, her goal is to travel in her Airstream and spend time in various places around the country, setting up her easel, painting, and selling her work at outdoor art shows.