Suzanne, a poet, and Janet, an artist, honor the ancient form of ekphrasis by exhibiting the union of art and poetry, but with a contemporary twist.
Having met while practicing yoga, these two women found they had many common interests. Janet and Suzanne began their ekphrastic journey during an outdoor workshop at Rush Ranch for artists and poets in October 2005. Janet painted, while Suzanne sat beside her and wrote. After 2 hours of back and forth, paint and words, their first creation was completed.
“We celebrate ekphrasis as an external way to view the artist’s rendition of a particular subject and the poetry as an internal view of the emotions stirred by the artist’s piece. Our styles of work are rich and diverse; our portfolio of collaborative work continues to grow as we each find new ways to express ourselves. The beauty of the collection is that the two forms of artistic expression give the viewer an opportunity to contemplate richer meanings in each independent work.”
The powerful variety of poetry complements the intriguing two and three dimensional mixed-media artwork. Suzanne’s presentation of her poetry has taken on a new life; beyond the traditional frame, she has begun to mount them on various objects, such as a glass plate, a sheet of sandpaper and acrylic sheets. Janet’s manipulated canvases and over-sized mixed media artwork engage the view with abstract and traditional subject matter.
Background History:
Book: Voices Beyond the Canvas
Special Event: Hosted “An Evening of Art, Poetry and Music”
Grants: Recipients of two Cultural Arts Awards from the City of Fairfield
Exhibitions at:Vacaville Art Gallery; Fairfield City Gallery; Solano County Government Center; Fairfield, Cordelia and St. Helena Public Libraries; Solano County Fair; California State Fair
Presentations to: Sacramento Book Collectors Club; Elk Grove Artists Association;
San Rafael Art Salon; Benicia First Tuesday Poetry Group
Other Website: www.EkphrasticExpressions.com
Blog: My Poetry Voice
Contact: Poet ~ Suzanne Bruce or Artist ~ Janet Manalo
