Being an artist is about learning to see the world differently,” Sue Bishop says as she points to a tree in her backyard. “When artists look at a tree they see shapes and relationships not just objects. An artist has a moral obligation to learn to see so she can truly appreciate the beauty in their world.” Observing the world more closely is one of the lessons she and Carol Light learned on their art journeys, which intersected 50 years ago and sparked a creative collaboration, and lifelong friendship.
A Lifetime of Art
Carol, 92, was bitten by the art bug early in life. “My biggest thing when I was a child was getting a new box of crayons. I’ve always loved putting down colors and lines and shapes,” she says.
It took Sue, 75, a little longer to discover her creative calling. Growing up, she was surrounded by art thanks to a mom who was an artist, but it wasn’t until college she began carrying on the family tradition. Sue remembers walking by the art department student show and thinking, “I can do that.”
The two have been best friends since the ’70s. “Artists are the greatest people in the world to have as friends,” Sue says. “You’re around fabulous people and there is always someone better to learn from.” The marriage of styles and generations includes Carol’s organic painting style, which focuses on animals and the environment, and Sue’s contemporary, geometric, straight-lined approach that emphasizes the human figure.
The goal, Carol says, was to view life from two perspectives while combining one idea. Their first project together was sparked by a trip to the artsy Monhegan Island, where Carol learned about thin places—points where spirit and humanity meet. Their hobby turned into a professional opportunity when the city’s Arts and Culture Coordinator Amanda Still heard about their venture and decided they needed a show “before we even began,” Sue points out.
After two months, Sue had a breakthrough, realizing the subject she needed to paint was herself. “Not physically me, but the emotions I was feeling,” she says. “I needed to put aside my fear of disappointing [everyone], reach up and take hold of that thin place. “It was the greatest lesson of trusting myself and putting the fear aside to allow wonderful things to happen.”
Amanda Still, the city’s Arts and Culture Coordinator, “Carol Light is an anchor to the local art community. She has served the arts community for many years by volunteering her time for the arts, working tirelessly as a professional artist, providing art instruction and inspiration to artists of all levels, and acting as mentor to a majority of local artists. Her artistic works are iconic and highly regarded and sought after by art collectors across the state and beyond. Sue Bishop’s work has a sophistication and intuitive style that is distinctly recognizable, and I often find myself awestruck when viewing one of her new pieces. Sue and Carol collaborate so well artistically because each understands the other’s visual language and how to weave one into the other. Their pieces come together so intuitively, as evidenced by their many collaborative paintings developed together through the years.
IN PERSON
Carol and Sue still enjoy painting and passing on their love of art to creatives of all ages, especially young artists through mentorship and workshops. They will provide an artist demonstration and talk at 5:30pm April 21 at Grace Heritage Chapel during the Georgetown Art Stroll.