Sue Dranchak

Sue Dranchak, Artist

My artwork reflects my reaction to the natural world - I enjoy exploring the visual elements provided by nature and playing with color and shape to create emotion and expression. Choosing the path and life of a professional Artist has not always been easy but it has always felt right. I absolutely love to make art and I love sharing my art with you. 

 

Sue Dranchak's (Dran-chak)'s art career began during her college years at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where she graduated in the spring of 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting. While attending college, she resided in a rustic, one room cabin just west of Fairbanks in an area known as Gold Hill. It was here that she learned the value of simplicity and developed a strong relationship with her surroundings and nature. Sue's connection to nature has been her inspiration and main theme in her artwork throughout her 25+ year art career. During her residence in Fairbanks, Sue began working on an ongoing series of paintings called "Meditation Forest" inspired by the boreal forest environment of her northern home. A few years later she began work on another series called "Alaska wildlife" inspired by her daily observations of the great variety of wildlife that are a part of the Alaska wilderness.

In early 2000's, Sue traveled outside of Alaska to gain more exposure for her artwork and to explore new regions. She eventually arrived in the Sonoran Desert where she established a second home and studio in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2009, Sue began working on a new series of paintings called 'Desert Garden' in which she capitalizes on the unique visual elements provided by the the wide variety of botanicals found in the the Sonoran desert region. Sue currently maintains a home based art studio in Anchorage, Alaska and in Phoenix, Arizona and she resides and works seasonally in each location. She does not currently work with a gallery as she prefers to exhibit and sell her latest artworks at a variety of outdoor art festivals and online.

"I like to travel and enjoy meeting the challenges that each environment has to offer. Traveling between such extreme and diverse geographical locations has kept me from getting into a rut, pushed me beyond my own boundaries and helped me to grow as an artist and an individual." ~ Sue Dranchak