"The Essence of Florida" - Landscape Artist Susan Dauphinee

When one thinks of Florida, the images of towering palm trees, waving fields of sawgrass and ever-changing tides come instantly to mind. They are the heart of what makes this State unique and beautiful. Artist Susan Dauphinee skillfully ensnares that essence in her work, creating landscapes as varied and enigmatic as those fashioned by Nature. Her style is impressionistic, capturing the organized chaos of the natural world. Her brushwork is expansive, enthusiastic and vibrant. There is movement; a richness of depths created by layers of translucent colors overlaid with light and shadow. Her paintings elicit an emotional response from those who see them, reaching out to draw them into the world captured on that canvas.

A graduate of the Ringling School of Fine Arts in Sarasota, Susan has always felt a deep connection with the creative spirit of artistic expression. As a child, she remembers making her own paper dolls, and designing wardrobes of clothing for them. A quiet, introspective teenager, painting and drawing were her means of self-expression. After high school, attending a fine arts college just seemed like the natural thing for her to do. Although her original plan was to become a fashion illustrator/designer, once she began painting, that medium became her consuming passion.

An early art school painting titled "Mullet"

Following college, she became a wife and mother, but continued to dabble with paint and canvas. Susan said it was difficult at that time to visualize herself as "an artist", and to see herself actually making a career for herself with her work.

In the early 1960's, another passion for Susan (and her husband Roy) was running. They often come to Cedar Key to visit relatives, and took time for a run around the island. With each visit here, she and Roy became more and more enamored with it's beauty and serenity. The wild abandon of the area haunted her, and would soon begin to show up in her work.

Nature's wild brilliance is reflected in this work completed in the 1980's

A few years later, she and Roy made a home for themselves here in Cedar Key. They built a leggy stilt house overlooking one of the lush sawgrass marshes, and Susan continued to paint. Early in 1980, her husband encouraged her to take part in the annual Spring Fine Arts Festival. Still basically shy and unsure of herself, she entered into the venture with much trepidation. She was stunned when people attending the festival not only raved about her paintings, but also actually bought them! Bolstered by the success of her showing at that festival, and the ever present encouragement of her husband, she began to research other art shows and festivals. It was perfect timing, as this was the era when art shows and festivals were becoming a popular way to spend a weekend, and people were flocking to them in droves. Susan would spend several years traveling from one festival to another, carting her paintings and her family with her in an old Winnebago. With each show, her self-confidence and reputation grew.

One of the canvases from the first C.K. Art Festival when Susan began showing her work.

Before too long, her paintings were being snapped up by eager collectors, galleries began clamoring for her work, and she was getting requests for specially commissioned pieces from corporations, organizations, and individual collectors.

Painting is still her most enduring passion, but Susan also teaches workshops, creates architectural renderings, and has helped her husband Roy build several homes. When asked what the future holds in store for her she replied, " To continue to grow as an artist, to strive to do better and always reach for that next supposedly unattainable goal".

A current painting, "Cypress Trees on Lake Santa Fe" is on display at the Natural Experience Gallery in C.K.

Susan's work can be viewed locally at the Natural Experience Gallery on 2nd Street. Her paintings are also available from either the R. Roberts Gallery or the Fogel Fine Art Gallery in Jacksonville, the Thornebrook Gallery in Gainesville, and the Gallery on New Castle in Brunswick, Georgia. (A personal web site is currently under construction, and her E-mail address is – dauphinee@bellsouth.net)