Botanical Garden Reflections Print

'Oil paintings by Susan List have become treasured keepsakes in many East Bay (San Francisco) homes, each a rendering of a loved one, a memorable destination or scene.' Linnea Smith Jessup, 'Local Luxuries,' Home and Design Magazine, Contra Costa Sun, April 2002. 'The world does look different after seeing these paintings of familiar scenes... A house at Moraga Way...always seemed in the background of daytime traffic - until I saw List's bold, geometric 'Yellow House' in an exhibit... Maybe this is the lesson... It's not about painting, it's about seeing.' Robert Taylor, Contra Costa Times, July 4, 2002 With more than three decades as a professional fine artist, Susan McKenna List's career includes prestigious juried national plein air competitions including The Carmel Art Festival, Sonoma Plein Air, solo, gallery and museum shows and her own studios/galleries on both US coasts. Trained as a California Impressionist by Society of Six descendant Pam Glover, List now works in Palm Beach, Florida, Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen and at a quiet northwestern New Jersey lake. 'I want to paint work that is strong, bright and free and prefer an intuitive, alla prima approach whether painting outdoors or in the studio. Florida offers the beach, ocean and momentous clouds; Manhattan, colorful parks and streets; the lake, peaceful water and woodland. These three very different environments challenge me to learn about and understand them. I love showing and sharing what I see and feel.' List holds BA in English, magna cum laude, taught English in Rome, Italy, undertook graduate study in Information Science and landed in Washington, DC with a career in management consulting to defense and energy concerns. A writer of proposals, poetry and short stories, in the 80’s List was surprised to find she enjoyed teaching her children to draw and began to take art classes. A move to the San Francisco Bay Area led to four years of studio painting and pastel portrait work with Pam Della, life drawing with Marilyn Hajjar, and an introduction to the colorful plein air work of Pam Glover, the well-known descendent of Oakland’s Society of Six. List’s art career flourished under this mentor as Glover’s colorful, direct approach and the plein air experience suited List perfectly. List also operated a studio/gallery in Lafayette’s La Fiesta Square where she showed her plein air work, painted commissions and taught plein air and studio classes.