Bio and Statement
Susan Goetz Zwirn is a painter whose work blends realism and abstraction, drawing inspiration from landscapes and people encountered through both travel and daily life. Her paintings reflect a deep sense of place and emotion, shaped by time spent in Italy, India, New York, and now California.
Working out of her studio at the Novato Arts Center, Susan continues to paint, exhibit, and share her love of art through workshops, artist talks, and community events. She also contributes to the arts through jurying and consulting, in NY and CA. She currently offers painting workshops in groups or individuals. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, juried shows, and museums, and is included in both private and public collections in the U.S. and abroad.
After two decades as a professor and director of arts education, Susan is now fully dedicated to her studio practice—bringing her research on the artist/educator full circle. Her writing has been published in over 15 journal articles and she has been honored to make over 50 presentations to artists, administrators, educators and the the general public.
Full CV available upon request.
“Zwirn’s painting ‘Winter’ offers a cascading cacophony of blues that are both random and ordered. There is a structure of chance evolution, as it were, that in its entirety is both quiet and evocative.”
Eric Ernst, critic and artist, descendant of renowned Surrealist artists Max and Jimmy Ernst, East Hampton Star, NY
Artist Statement
My paintings explore the shifting essence of landscape—how it is both seen and felt. From recognizable vistas of land and water to abstracted impressions of space, I work with a palette shaped by seasonal change and internal emotional landscapes.
I often merge multiple perspectives on a single canvas: the view from solid ground, the sensation of soaring through the air, or the imagined vantage point of looking at Earth from space. These shifts in viewpoint allow me to play with spatial perception and invite new ways of seeing the world.
Each painting begins with thin, poured layers of paint. Over time, the surface becomes dense and textured—built up slowly on heavy-duty canvas and wooden stretchers I construct myself. These sturdy foundations support the years a single painting may take to complete.