Susan Wesley Nuni

Bio

Susan Wesley Nuni found her way to art through design. She began her career as an interior designer, receiving her degree from the UCLA Interior Design and Architecture program. During her years of training, she took studio classes in drafting, rendering, drawing, printmaking, and painting.

She then opened her interior design company, working on a wide variety of design projects—from medical and law offices to home stagings and custom residential jobs. Her approach was to treat each space as a three-dimensional art installation, creating immersive spaces that would delight and visually thrill her clients.

Susan’s artistic journey into the world of fine art and painting began years later. After raising her family, she moved across the country to join her two sons who were living in New York City. In her new studio apartment flooded with natural light, thirty-two floors above the Hudson River, she fell in love with Manhattan—the juxtaposition of the old rough brick buildings, against the new smooth steel and glass skyscrapers, the textures of cobblestones, and layers of fire escapes. There began a new chapter that she always knew would come when the time was right: Susan began to paint.

Susan now has a studio in West Los Angeles and continues to sketch, paint, and experiment with new methods to delight those viewing her work.

MY ART

My approach to art is a love story to both color and geometry. My hard edge abstract paintings rely heavily on my design and drafting training and tools, and a deep understanding of perspective and perception. My appreciation and understanding of color is a major inspiration. I find deep satisfaction in mixing paints—watching as colors transform—creating exciting new hues, palettes, and combinations. In my painting process, I often experience a sensation of being enveloped or submerged in color.

Another area of focus for me is the absence of color and the sharp contrast between black and white—absolute light and dark. The contrast and intersection between these two worlds—color and colorless—is a point of exploration in much of my work. I also enjoy utilizing optical illusions to further draw the viewer into my paintings. Paired with a love of geometric shapes, these concepts form the basis for many of my paintings.

Through my freehand abstract paintings, I strive to experiment with color, movement, and space in a more fluid, improvisational format. Both styles are central to my identity as a painter. With all of my work, I aim to visually excite the viewer while prompting an experience of curiosity, emotion, and wonder.