Susan Wheeler's delightful paintings depicting the dwellings and secret lives of the animal
kingdom are inspired by her attention to rural Victorian England with its quaint architecture
and simpler, slower, more romantic pace of life. She renders this domain in exquisite detail,
encouraging the viewer to enter an imaginary realm in which families of animals share
moments at home, invite neighbors to tea, celebrate holidays and engage in a gentle and
complete society.
Born in Texas, Wheeler moved to New England with her family at a very young age and,
as an only child, spent much of her time fascinated by, drawing and painting the small
animals which inhabited the woods near her home. The first artist to directly influence the
self-taught Wheeler was children's illustrator Beatrix Potter and her work is reminiscent of
that early influence. However, Wheeler's work differs from her mentor's in that each image is
complete, a segment of a larger story which the viewer is encouraged to envision rather than
as a complement to an accompanying text.
Living in Texas again with her own family including her four children, Wheeler
continues to illustrate the domain which first inspired her as a child, still envisioning life in
the English countryside of her dreams.
|