“ the cure for everything is salt water” ~ Baroness Karen Christenze von Blixen-Finecke (1885 -1962)
Susan J Roche, artist | 732.703.2752
Encaustic Mixed Media Original Art
modern, mid century and ancient techniques
Historical paintings of the seventeenth century were often biblical or mythical; Susan’s works are titled after Greek Mythology.
Goddesses, Gods, Nymphs, Nereids
The God Nereus and Doris, the sea nymph, daughter of Oceanus, had fifty daughters. The Nereids were greatly beautiful, even among goddesses.
They are described as lovely divinities dwelling at the bottom of the sea, and they were believed to be propitious and helpers to all sailors. Frequently represented in antiquity, in artwork, and commonly as youthful, beautiful, and naked maidens, they are often grouped with Tritons and other marine monsters. Sometimes, they appear as half maidens and half fish, like mermaids.
This Could Be You
We can plan artwork that begins in your pool or one that we rent close to where you are. There will be a loose plan for your underwater photo shoot, a collaboration of ideas for personal art. The shoot will be fun, and Susan will guide you as you move effortlessly under the surface. The experience will be inspiring in new ways, and even limitations may change. There is a peaceful sense of play as we create together.
"I feel like a part of me that I almost forgot about was awakened.
The reminder that I could do & be anything.” ~ Linda B.
“This artistic process satisfies my search for tranquility.”
My work explores the subtle interplay between water, light, texture, and emotion, inviting viewers into moments of quiet musing. Using the ancient medium of encaustic along with mid century techniques of painting photographs; adding depth as the wax merges with the ephemeral quality of modern photography. Creating a tactile experience that transcends the boundaries of traditional image-making. Each piece is a meditation that evokes a sense of serenity and healing. Through the delicate layering, I seek to capture the essence of peace, inviting viewers to reflect and find solace in the ethereal. My work is an invitation to listen to the soul's whispers and find beauty in the quiet spaces within ourselves.
Susan began professionally photographing families along the Jersey Shore during her freshman year of college. Her elegant, playful style developed over the decades, as she studied with master portrait artists and photographers. She is a graduate of Monmouth University. She also is a mother of three, and grandmother of seven.
Until 2020, her studio/gallery was located within walking distance of the beach. On October 29, 2012, in Bay Head, New Jersey, the devastation from Superstorm Sandy changed everything. The following spring, she began combining her love of water, photography, the figurative form, and various media, including pastels, chalks, oils, wax, and fine art techniques, to create an impressionistic style of mixed media work. For a while after the storm, as she rebuilt her beach portrait business, the underwater sea goddess developed and grew. By 2020, her work had evolved entirely into underwater fine art.
The overall process evokes layers: depth, as in the pool; all-the-things life when clients dive in and dissolve their stress; and ancient wax theory.
Encaustic wax is how Egyptians preserved colors in artwork. Roche applies up to 20 different layers over each art piece, building a waterlike texture with a smooth finish. “There is a tactile, organic feel,” she says of the beeswax and resin she builds on top of large-format prints. “I might add colors into that.”
July 2024 - Hamptons.com
The Hamptons Fine Arts Fair showcased over 140 galleries in a majestic and architecturally distinctive 70,000 sq. ft. Pavilion complex built on a raised platform. Roughly 10,000 guests attended the fair in Southampton from July 11th to July 14th. This fair has become the largest art event in the Hamptons, attracting Hamptons-based art aficionados.
Captivating artworks and sculptures adorned every wall and space, but some stood out more than others. These artworks explore new territory, provoke emotions, and make you stop and think.
Saltwater at the Grenville Hotel
Saltwater Fine art gallery inside the Grenville Hotel
345 Main Avenue, Bay Head, NJ - historic Jersey Shore hotel