Original Art & Fine Art Reproduction Prints
Many paintings can be viewed and purchased at:
Port Townsend Gallery 715 Water St., Port Townsend, WA.
Additional photos on request and in-person viewing by appointment.
suzy@suzycarroll.com
Read my occasional (free) e-newsletter/blog on SUBSTACK
ARTIST STATEMENT
My inspiration for abstract art comes from the mystery and magic of nature—how shapes emerge from light dancing in the forest or how images form when cloud watching.
Painting for me, is an intuitive process, allowing what “I think” I want to paint (or how life ‘should’ go) to transform into a life of its own.
I am self-taught—delightfully experimenting while, as much as humanly possible, embracing the Eastern philosophy of “non-attachment to outcome.” *Bio below.
My Primary Medium is Cold Wax (CW) and Oil…
Cold wax is made from beeswax with a small amount of organic solvent. The wax is the consistency of Crisco (see photo). When mixed with oil paint, the possibilities for texture, layers of color, and mark-making are endless.
My husband, Tom, handcrafts the floater frames and cradle boards (pictured). Cradle board sides are 1.5″ to 2″ deep. Edges are either painted or stained.
To inquire about purchasing please email suzy@suzycarroll.com
ARTIST BIO
I was raised in Washington State by parents who were mountaineers and sailors. As an only child, my companion was nature. Decades later, the years spent mesmerized by water splashing off the hull of our sailboat, clouds changing shapes above, and gazing for hours on end at the horizon influence what now emerges in art form.
Integral to unfolding my creative process was the influence of my late mother, an artist who was a narcissist. As children of narcissistic parents often do, I became an over-pleaser and over-achiever with a deep fear of criticism. I buried my artistic side and followed the more culturally accepted path of business and leadership for decades.
In 2022, I added the ICF-certified Jungian Life Coach qualification to my coaching toolbelt. It was a process that required application of what I was learning and, as a result, my buried creativity burst forth.
Early 2023, I took a leap of faith, reprioritizing my coaching business and life to make time for daily painting. No longer inhibited by fear of criticism or driven by perfectionism (as much), I began reading, watching, talking, and learning everything I could about cold wax painting—a medium that shines—when relinquishing the need to control.
A short time later, having started virtually from scratch, I sold my first painting and fully stepped into the role of “artist.” I’ve never done anything that feels so right!
As an artist, I have five guidelines I follow:
1. Create without attachment to the outcome.
2. Create from a space of joy.
3. Embrace Wabi-Sabi (imperfection).
4. Step away from painting the minute it begins to feel like “work.”
5. Go with the flow.
I am a reformed busyness addict, no longer pushing and planning my way through life. This ease is now the basis for my life and my art.
PARTICIPATION
WilderBee Farms/Mead Werks Exhibition: May 2024 – July 2024.
Port Townsend Gallery: July 2024 – present.
NW School of Arts: Juried Art Show 2024
Cold Wax Academy: October 2024 – October 2025.
AAUW 2025 Donor Artist
Port Townsend Gallery
715 Water Street
AND THEN CAME ART…
January 2023: Read “Cafe on the Edge of the World”, which posed three life-changing questions. Realized my life priorities were out of balance.
February 2023: Closed my coaching business.
Mid-March 2023: Began painting (with no prior experience).
June 2023: Sold my first painting, Mountain Dreamer.
October 2023: Joined the Cold Wax Academy for a 365-day learning journey.
February 2024: Invited to co-show, May through July, at Wilderbee Tasting Room. Broke the sales record for shows hosted at this venue.
Late June 2024: Invited to ‘jury’ for membership – Port Townsend Gallery. Unanimously voted in.
July 2024: Sold my first painting(s) through gallery sales.
October 2024: Experienced my first artist block. Exited the Cold Wax Academy – I learned a lot, but chose to release the thinking mind. Intuitively guided creative flow returned…
2025: Steady sales, steady creativity, and leading with joy—the secret sauce to a fulfilling life.
*Click here for free mini-guides to help you find your secret sauce to a fulfilling life!
