Visual Art – Ottawa

Susan Kanwisher was born and raised in Montreal, Canada where she began drawing and painting at a very early age. She received her first commission to paint a portrait in oil when she was twelve. At the age of eleven she was chosen by her school to enter a nationwide fire prevention poster contest hosted by the James Arnault Foundation of Toronto. Her creation took first place and the following year, despite the abundance of new entries, her poster took first place a second time. Her artwork is very eclectic and the style depends upon the subject matter. It varies from visually engaging to emotionally provocative. Having received no formal training, she has been commissioned to create posters for retail stores, stage backdrops, window paintings, murals, cd covers and portraits of both people and pets. She has also sold several of her own creations. Susan’s art has adorned the walls of either my home or workplace for the best part of 20 years. They have entertained bandits and baronesses alike and have been a source of beauty and pleasure for many environments created. Susan’s work is both romantic and whimsical. She will be one of history’s great Canadian artists. Geoffrey Williams private collector Susan’s vision is clear, unique, varied and unpredictable. She paints her flights of fancy within a framework of many well-executed personal styles. Her paintings blend humour and wit with the bizarre and the grotesque, cruelty and beauty with surrealism and satire. You never know what she will do, but it’s always a delight and it’s always hers. An excellent and honest painter. Stephen Berndt private collector