"Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable."
—George Bernard Shaw

Susan Westover

In Susan Westover's sculptures, her objective is to evoke emotions rather than to portray them. This reflects her years as a psychologist which preceded her experiences as an artist.

She retuned to school between the ages of 38 and 48 to receive a Bachelor of Science (Summa Cum Laude), Masters of Science, and Doctorate, and then worked for 15 years as a psychologist before seeking an education and career in art. Trained at the Scottsdale Artists' School, she has studied under the tutelage of many fine American and European artists, and now combines the knowledge and sensitivity gained in both fields to create her engaging sculptures.

She works in Paradise Valley, Arizona, where she lives with her husband John and enjoys balancing the life of an artist with the pleasures of friends and family.

Juried Exhibitions:

2005
7th Annual Sculptures In The Streets, Mesa, Arizona

2006
The Best and the Brightest, Scottsdale Artists' School, Scottsdale, Arizona

Sculpture In The Park , Loveland, Colorado

2007
Loveland Sculpture Invitational, Loveland Colorado

Loveland Sculpture Invitational, Loveland, Colorado

2008
The Best and the Brightest, Scottsdale Artists' School, Scottsdale, AZ

2009
Space and Time, Herberger Theater Gallery, Phoenix, Arizona.

2010
The Dance of Life, Herberger Theater Gallery, Phoenix, Arizona

Juried Art Exhibition, Arizona Artist's Guild, Phoenix, Arizona - Merchant's Award

 

People mesmerize me! As a psychologist, I helped others understand and value themselves; as an artist, I portray the complexity and humanity of those I meet. My goal with portraits is to create a sculpture that helps the viewer know something important about this person.

Dancers. Dancers are beautiful. They combine form, power, balance, and beauty. I have done a series of dancers; with them I strive to duplicate the posture, grace, and beauty that dancers bring to our world. It is a pleasure to work with such elegant forms.

I believe that form overpowers line. To capitalize on this, I use surface texture to emphasize the underlying form. I am more concerned with accurate form than with "expected" form. For example, I sculpt a model's face capturing nuances of form in lips, eyes, shape of eyelids, et cetera. When I sculpt figures, I attend to muscle tension, balance, subtleties of posture and carriage. These efforts all contribute to the sculpture's authentic and lifelike qualities.

Thank you for enjoying my art,

Susan Rae Westover, Ph.D.