A Statement From Artist
Suzanne Poursine Massion
A body of work I named "Heartland Images" is an evolving collection of oil paintings inspired by the farmland, prairie remnants, and grassy open spaces of the place I call home. I've lived in the Midwest for over thirty years, and I've grown to appreciate its great beauty. I began painting landmarks, because I was intrigued by the look of gritty, blue-collar mid-western river towns and disappearing rural areas. Many of those early works went to private and corporate collectors. As the original series shrank in number, I wanted to continue the project but with a distinct difference. Instead of local landmarks, I went looking for the common places, those areas we pass by every day.
Visiting the cities and farm country up and down the Fox River Valley, I realized this area we live in is so beautiful, so underrated. Many of my colleagues travel extensively and seek out exotic subjects, but I find so much material to paint in the country near my home. The spectacular colors and dramatic shadows are right there at the highways edge, across the fence, at lanes end. Sadly, my subjects burn down every year or are demolished and paved over, disappearing under the demands of development. Perhaps such areas will live a little longer in these paintings. They are my portraits of the heartland.
