My long anticipated exhibition at Xavier University Art Gallery is almost here. Frank Satogata, Ian Ross and I have been planning this exhibit for a year and a half. The opening is September 28th from 5-7PM. Please consider attending. Here is the original proposal that we submitted to the gallery director in our application materials.
“Blooming” is a collaborative art exhibition showcasing the floral work of Frank Satogata, Ian Ross and Susan Mahan. Satogata is a painter who specializes in subjects of natural origin, typically landscapes and florals. Ross is a photographer of floral still life. Mahan merges the two, creating mixed media paintings that embed floral photos into her paintings, which are typically garden scenes and floral still life. All three artists are known for their bold use of luminescent color. Strong compositions show the influence of the graphic design industry. Subjects range from still life to garden landscapes and the indication of actual subject matter ranges from very abstract to highly detailed.
It is of significance to note that all three artists are well-established artists and are technically classified as “seniors.” All have had successful careers in art-related fields different from their current work. Satogata was a graphic designer, Ross a painter, and Mahan a high school art teacher. Their wealth of individual experiences brings a level of maturity to the exhibition. All three artists have reinvented themselves along with their perspective of not only their work but their daily outlook. All three consider themselves fortunate to have the ability, at this stage of their lives, to be “late bloomers.” They all feel they have only just begun to hit their stride, they are, in fact, still “blooming.”
