Robusto Cows

Robusto Cows
Oil on Wood Cigar Box
6"X8"X3"
You know Christmas is coming when a new idea takes over. It started with the old cigar box that my friend, John, used to keep museum specimens in. I returned it to him painted with his birthday egret. (See "The Gift" posted November 17th.) Then I saw the enchanting painting fellow painter, and continuing inspiration, Elllis Heyer had done and that sent me right to the cigar store to stock up. It is always satisfying to transform a discarded item into a work of art. Liberating and lighthearted. Something from nothing. And back again. Isn't that the story of our lives?

Cookbook Collection

Cookbook Collection
Oil on Wood
10"X10

It's that time of year. When inside is where we want to be. Where it's warm and worn and memories of winters long gone are embedded in old hand-me-down cookbooks spattered with the batters that added spice to our childhood.

San Francisco Bay November 22, 2010

San Francisco Bay November 22, 2010
Oil on Wood
12"X12"

SOLD
Storms have been putting on a light and dark show for days now. It's been thrilling to watch, and energizing to have change in the air. I have been a bit of a thundercloud myself. Brooding about the meaning of it all. I have a lot of paintings in my studio. They are all for sale. Make me an offer I can't refuse and one could be yours, or a gift for someone special. Come by and see what's here. Paintings from Maine, Sonoma, and San Francsico Bay. Not to mention books, birds, and bovines. Come see.
Contact me at susan@susanlandor.com

Sonoma Vineyards

Sonoma Vineyards
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
SOLD

The skies have been putting on quite a show the last few days. Sonoma was all yellows and shades of grey this weekend. And back in Sausalito, the sky is changing by the minute. Mesmerizing.
Last night I watched "Herb and Dorothy" a documentary about the Vogels, two ordinary people who built a world class art collection and then gave it all to The National Gallery. I love that they just did it. Without rules or anyone telling them what was good. And that they only bought what they loved and could afford, which wasn't much on meager salaries, and that they didn't care about making money. They GAVE it all away. Not only is the film thoroughly entertaining, but the underlying message about art being accessible to the likes of you and me was just what I needed at this moment when I am a little dispirited about the elusive nature of art promotion. One could spend all one's time trying to get attention. Or. One could hunker down and paint.

Painting: Books in the Bedroom

Books in the Bedroom
Oil on Wood
12"X12"

SOLD
Books in the bedroom, where they belong. My mother's painting from 1969 a quiet presence in the background. Her creative spirit lives on. An on.

Book Painting: Books by the Window

Books by the Window
Oil on Wood
10"X10"
SOLD

Susan Landor Keegin Painting - The Gift

The Gift
Oil on Cigar Box
6"X9"
NFS
The older we get, the less we want or need things of any kind. Some time ago my friend, John, gave me some old cigar boxes to paint on. Today is his birthday. So I spent the morning watching egrets fishing in the Mill Valley wetlands near his house. And then I came home and painted the old box imbuing it with new life. Egrets are for some a symbol of wisdom. I just like the way they move and go about their daily business of survival, oblivious to their amazing grace and beauty. I could say the same about my friend, John. A little reminder that life is about living and loving the world around us. Which is pretty much all any of us want when it comes to birthdays.

Em's Old Books

Em's Old Books
Oil on Wood
8"X8"

Back to books. When Fall rolls around, a soft afternoon light fills the void left in the childrens' vacated bedrooms. I often think I should "clear out the old energies," as my mother used to say. But I like the nostalgia that clings to a stack of their discarded books. Memories of a full house come to life. And for a fleeting moment I feel the presence of family all around.

Satsuma Orange

Satsuma Orange
Oil on Wood
6"X6"

SOLD
Sitting outside on a warm, balmy Saturday afternoon, it was this Satsuma orange that grabbed my attention. Small round shape, rich orange color, and dark green leaves, exuding goodness and the promise of juicy insides. After I finished the painting, I ate the fruit, every bit as satisfying to eat as it was to look at.

Lynn's for Lunch

Lynn's Cat
Oil on Wood
6"X6"
NFS
After spending way too much time questioning the meaning of life, I took a little lunch and myself over to my sister's house yesterday. We talked and ate and laughed at each other's antics while her two big black cats, who slink around and settle themselves artfully on chairs and stools watched, pretending to be disinterested. They move in slow motion and only when the mood strikes, exuding calm, as if there is no urgency anywhere in the world. I came home refreshed and happy and determined to lighten up.
On the wall of my studio there is an old envelope on which is written:
"Purpose of Life is to grow in Wisdom and learn to love better."
Below it, on a post it is:
"The purpose of life is to live it."
Words to live by.

Little Sailboats Racing

Little Sailboats Racing
Oil on Wood Panel
6"X6"

SOLD
So earnest in their pursuit of the breeze are these little sailboats outside my window. As if there were nothing more pressing this November morning than sailing along the Sausalito shore. Soothing to look up and catch them punctuating my view.

Sausalito Waterfront

Sausalito Waterfront
Oil on Wood Panel
6"X6"

There's nothing like an early morning walk along the shore with a great friend to start the day off in a positive direction. Feeling connected to the bigger world through friendship with a like minded soul dissolves self doubt and replaces it with a healthy dose of optimism. Much needed medicine after last week's dip into despair and disillusionment. The sun was even shining, the bay glistening, and possibility was in the air.

Raccoon Straits 5

Raccoon Straits 5
Oil on Wood
12"X12"
SOLD
Yesterday evening the sky turned positively peachy. It had been a little too warm and muggy all day causing me to call, "earthquake weather." It wasn't, but I continued to wander around in the fog of flu thinking I would never again do anything but sleep. Dusk brought on the luscious hues of sundown, while the sailing class optimistically waited for a breath of air to power their race.

Nicole Krauss

Last night, despite feeling fluish, I tore myself away from the Giants game and headed for Herbst to hear Nicole Krauss at City Arts and Lectures. I arrived just as the last inning was unfolding, so I ducked into Max's to see the end play out. People had been watching a big screen set up outside City Hall which was bathed in deep orange light.


After the last pitch, everyone spilled into the street, cheering.
Inside, Krauss talked about her themes of joy and loss and human connection. About the burden of inheritance, uncertainty, and how we wonder if we will ever be fully known.

The celebration was still in full swing when we left Herbst at 9p.m. Perfect strangers sharing a moment of glee.

Raccoon Stratis 4

Raccoon Straits 4
Oil on Wood
10"X10"