Reneé Decator
What did I have in common with another artist I admired but whose work was very different from my own? We thought we might work well on a project together. We had met recently and made a connection of sorts. My work had changed over the last few years and was continuing to evolve as was I, as an artist. When I began painting 12 years ago, it was about learning to create art. I grew up drawing the people and interests in my life and pursued art instruction as a possible hobby. I did not expect to discover my passion in life, something that defines me and allows self expression and a connection to the wonderful people I meet through my paintings. My artwork is reflective of my life, my loves and my experience. I would describe myself as an "escape" artist. I tend to paint my own world of lovely jungles and gardens with a vibrant palette, my escape. I am connected to God, my creator. I am in awe of his creation, the world around me, and the creatures that live amongst it. I want to share my vision of the uniqueness of it all.

Working on an exhibit with Suzanne was intriguing and just what I needed to push my art a bit further and expose myself in a new way. I love a challenge, a mission.We talked about possible ties and waited for something to strike us both as appealing. We were riding in the car and sharing more about our lives and experiences when Suzanne told me that she felt a connection to birds. My heart started to race, as I listened to her talk about a robin that had had a profound effect on her family. I knew this was our tie.

I have written about and painted the birds that touch me and are so important in my life. We realized that we all have creature comforts, connections with animals wild and tame that enhance our lives and sometimes help and heal us along the way. Their existence is important and the connection is real It often leads to a lifelong relationship that enhances who we are and what we become.

Suzanne Clements
In the past my work has been very structured, almost realistic, and the subject matter nearly always involved the figure along with my usual symbol set (wood grain, striped fabric, butterflies, etc.). Working on this project with Reneé has brought forth a more relaxed and casual method of painting for me. Because we're "illustrating" stories, thoughts, and feelings that have a foothold in memories long since passed, the imagery to me doesn't have that same concrete feeling. They are indefinable, like dreams that you may be able to recall with great vividness, but when questioned about details you find yourself at a loss.

My technique has been pushed into a more painterly, impressionistic method and while at first I found it all alarming, the more I gather stories for this series, the more it's clear that these are impressions of recollections and not solid images that can be easily, clearly represented. The style of my paintings fit perfectly with the function of this series.

I have been painting for nearly my entire life. My inspiration to first become an artist came from watching my Grandfather, a sculptor in Ontario, Canada, who was able to support a family of five kids off his creative efforts. Growing up in a family surrounded by creative people encouraged me to reach out and try new things and never to assume failure. Over the years I finally settled into painting as my main medium and it is where I feel most creatively challenged and rewarded.

I am excited to be working on this project with Reneé and to see how our works will play off one another. We have several overlapping creatures in our collections, yet our stories are very different and as a result, the works give off a different impression, a different personality.