Sue Callihan

Landscapes

Sue CallihanA painting of a wetland by Sue Callihan.‘s landscapes, painted in oil, attempt to capture the unique beauty of the Monadnock Region. She is especially drawn to the wetlands – marshes, boggy meadows, spring-flooded fields – in part because they are constantly changing, season to season and hour to hour. But also because they are so affected by the light and hold so many secrets.

Her Harris Center exhibit with artist and friend Kim CunninghamCallihan and Cunningham: Inspired by Nature — runs from March 1 to 30, 2020 in the Thelma Babbitt Room. The artists will hold an opening reception on Sunday, February 29, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Artist Statement

I have recently moved to Hancock after living in Peterborough for nearly 40 years. Hancock has always drawn me because it is so much like the village I grew up in, but also because there are thousands of acres of conserved land, thanks in large part to the continuing work of the Harris Center. The places I love to paint — wetlands, ponds, lakes, and meadows — are minutes away.

A painting of a country road by Sue Callihan.Though I paint outside when I can, in the warm months, much of my work is done from photos, usually of places I visit over and over again. There are just certain spots in the landscape that trigger a reaction and a response in me. It may be a spot on my way to do my grocery shopping that, at that moment, takes my breath away. Sometimes it’s just the way the light is hitting the tops of the trees or the way storm clouds are reflected in the water between the grasses in a wetland, or the color of the grasses in late afternoon light.

Trying to capture the true essence of this constantly changing landscape is a joy and an incredibly humbling endeavor.

I am very grateful to the Harris Center for the work they do and to the many, many landowners who have chosen to preserve these places of solace and beauty.

— Sue Callihan