Susan Grace Branch is a native-born Oregonian. Her love of the forests, fields and oceans of the Pacific North West along with their flora and fauna have called her back to her home state, most recently from southern Arizona. Susan's home is now in McMinnville, Oregon where she keeps studios for both wall art and jewelry making (wearable art.) Being here has certainly already influenced her crea...tive work. She is looking forward to more opportunities to deepen and expand this process.
Susan's artistic style would be considered eclectic, the consequence of a life-long fascination with possibility thinking , looking for the patterns that connect thoughts, ideas and philosophies inside of disciplines and between disciplines. Much of her work has been with diverse groups and with cross cultural groups. Susan is skilled in finding common ground with diverse groups and facilitating people do the same. She finds it exciting to see people and groups celebrate and learn from their similarities and differences. Having studied, lived and worked interstate and internationally has been formative to this skill.
Susan's interests range from the sciences, the arts, archeology, anthropology, sociology , mythology and psychology and our interrelationship with the world that surrounds us in its many and varied forms. And, how to bring them together in a coherent form. Some of Susan's influences include Joseph Campbell, Gregory Bateson, Vincent van Gogh, 14th Dalai Lama, Milton Erickson, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Leonardo da Vinci, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula le Guin, Jackson Pollock, traditional Balinese painting, Rene Margritte, Marc Chagall, Remedios Varo, Herman Junger, Wolfgang Rhas, Wendy Ramshaw... and many more.
Susan has work represented in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, The Western Australian Art Gallery, The University of Iowa and in many national and international personal and professional collections. Susan has earned B.A. Art Education, B.A. in Three Dimensional Design, M.A. in Jewelry and Metalsmithing, M.F.A. in Multi Media.
Arigatai "Grateful" necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Jewelry resin, origami paper, shell, pearl, stone beads mica, chain. The calm blues of the throat chakra combined with greys and sparkle of mica express the wearer's joyful gratitude.
Beach and Birch necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Jewelry resin, birch paper, beach stone, mica, beach sand, chain. I've always loved the mystery of natural found objects and material. n this necklace you will be wearing bot combined with manmade elements.
Beachcomber necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Jewelry resin, birch paper, found shell, red creek jasper bead, glass bead, acrylic paint, chain. Combing the beach, finding this partially submerged shell, do you hear the waves and the wind? Lovely to wear!
Beyond the River's Bend
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: My husband grew up in Perth, in Western Australia. On a visit he took me to this place where he and his brother would launch a raft and spend the day having an adventure floating downstream. With this painting I wanted to capture the memory of the place and the magical time of river adventures. You never know what is just around the bend in the river! Paint applied with painting knives. Acrylic on stretched canvas.
Colors of Life necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Red Creek Jasper. Containing colors of life Red Creek Jasper has many healing and cleansing qualities. Both beautiful and grounding to wear.
Connection necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Amethyst focal and beads. Enjoy connection to worlds of mystery when you wear this lovely amethyst pendant and bead necklace.
Dawning of the Day painting-necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Acrylic paint sealed and domed with jewelry grade resin. New dawn lights the sky bringing hope and joy of a day of adventure in the purple mountains. Enjoy wearing this lovely spirit!
Flowing to the Ocean
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: In this painting I wanted to capture the essence of the People's Coast. The cloudy sky, land, stream and ocean converge with the beauty of this lovely coast. I chose painting (palette) knives to create this painting to help capture the energy of this convergence with the tranquility of the moment.
Golden Focus necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Jewelry resin &mica cast medallion, beads, findings, chain. I love the idea of focusing attention on our desires. The implied antiqueness of this piece gives a sense of eternal focus to the wearer.
Golden Sea-stack painting-necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Acrylic paint sealed and domed with jewelry grade resin. I love to capture the energy of these iconic Oregon Coast Sea-stacks and bring that energy right to the wearer!
Good Fortune necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Jewelry resin, Apache tear obsidian, jade, turquoise, mica. These stone represent protection, healing and good fortune in many cultures. These energies are yours to wear in beauty.
Guardian of the Lake painting-necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Acrylic paint sealed and domed with jewelry grade resin. The strong , calm energy of these sleeping volcanoes inspires a sense of awe and guardianship that is lovely to wear.
Guiding Lights
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: The moon is one of my favorite subjects to paint. There is a beauty in the night that is brought forth by the moon. The moon in relationship with lighthouses adds the mystery of the night and connection between land and sea, the earth and the sky. All is well.
Heartfelt necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Pink tourmaline quartz, Rhodonite, pearl. These subtle pinks, blues and greens are so calming and relaxing, and they match so many other colors! Yours to wear!
Her Ladyship necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Jewelry resin, Czech glass flower, Rhodonite bead. Who can resist the lovely warm and healing energies of these pinks and greys of Her Ladyship's energy?
HIdden Depths painting-necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Acrylic paint sealed and domed with jewelry grade resin. What hidden thoughts of beauty and mystery are revealed as you gaze into these? Enjoy wearing the energy of this mystery.
Hidden Valley painting-necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Acrylic paint sealed and domed with jewelry grade resin. The ancient saguaro is the gatekeeper to this hidden valley. Adventure awaits there! Will you have a story to tell when you wear it?
Highland Spring
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: A Springtime road trip through the Colorado Rockies inspired me to create this work. I wanted to capture the feeling of altitude, spring weather, layers of geography and clarity of the air in the mountains. To achieve this I have used a number of techniques and materials to help capture this essence. The sky is a wet technique using a wash and pulling out paint here and there to create clouds, scraping semi dried paint at the bottom of the clouds to give the sense of rain. The crispness and layering of the mountains is achieved with collaged painted papers. Molding paste mixed with acrylic paint creates the foreground meadow texture. Brush and sea sponge complete the details of grasses and flowers.
Landward painting-necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Acrylic paint sealed and domed with jewelry grade resin. The landward view from the sea creates a different perspective. What stories will you tell when you wear this creation?
Morning Glory
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: The beginning edge of day when we see the stars fade and the clouds begin to be painted by the sun. This is a delightful time of day to allow nature to fill our minds with whispers of wonder. This wonder is what I want to capture and share in this painting. It is painted primarily with painting knives (aka palette knives) and is inspired by the southern Arizona landscape where I lived on and off over 16 years.
Ocean Dreaming necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: African turquoise, jade, Red Creek Jasper, magnesite, Rhodonite. So many lovely blues, green and turquoises reminiscent of the clear ocean waves on a white sand beach. Pair this with the "Ocean Drops" earrings!
Ocean Drops earrings
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Magnesite, Sterling ear wires. Drops of turquoise remind us of ocean water to compliment your "Ocean Dreaming" necklace.
Purple Vistas
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Spring time in the Rocky Mountains, crisp air, layers of green, purple distance, and the clouds hinting of rain. Looking out across the valleys gives that sense of almost infinite distance and timelessness.
Pyramid painting-necklace
Fine Art by artist Susan Grace Branch - Description: Acrylic paint sealed and domed with jewelry grade resin. This pyramid-mountain overlooks the growth of spring while the fields erupt with new life. Wear this image with delight!