Suzun Almquist

Suzun Almquist

I was drawn to art while living in Napa, California. There was an abundance of talent in the valley and I enjoyed, and took great interest in, the painters. However, it wasn’t until I finally retired from a demanding career that I entertained the notion of actually painting.  

I was guided to Marcy Wheeler’s studio in Walnut Creek, California. As I started my art studies and began looking for subjects and compositions to paint, my father’s early photographs of our family inspired me. I wanted my paintings to capture the same sensitivity, emotion, place and time that were expressed in his photos. I continue to study with Marcy and have taken additional classes in figure and perspective drawing through other art teachers. Besides portraitures, my interests have expanded to include painting landscapes and nature. I work on canvas and enjoy the versatility of acrylic paints.  I am a member of Bay Area Studio Artists (BASA) www.bayareastudioartists.com, Lamorinda Arts Alliance (LAA) and Arts Benicia.

Suzun Almquist is a delightful painter whose figurative works brightly balance bold color with organic compositions. While she lives in Walnut Creek, she has long been a member of the North Beach art community. She reminds the viewer of the Italian word sprezzatura—effortless grace—and she has that rare ability to make that which is complex feel simple and simply wonderful. Brava, Suzun!” Romalyn Schmaltz, North Beach First Fridays, https://www.sfnbff.org

Recent Art Exhibits and Gallery Shows:

2024

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

“The Art of Community 2024”

  • Lamorinda Arts Council Art Gallery at the Orinda Library, Orinda, California

    The BASA Invitational: “As We See It”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Lamorinda Arts Alliance “Spring Show” at the Papillon
    Cafe Gallery

2023

  • The Village Theatre Art Gallery, Danville, CaliforniaLafayette Town Hall Theatre, Lafayette, CA

    “The Art Of A Story” — 13th Annual national juried exhibit

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

“The Art of Community 2023”

  • John Muir Hospital, Auxiliary’s Aspen Center

    “Wellness and Wellbeing”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

2022

  • Lamorinda Arts Council Art Gallery at the Orinda Library, Orinda, California

    “It’s In Our Nature”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • John Muir Hospital, Auxiliary’s Aspen Center

    “Wellness and Wellbeing”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Marilyn Citron O’Rourke Gallery in the Benicia Public Library, Benicia, California

    “Women Who Dare”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Orinda Books, Orinda, California

    “Dog Park”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Main Street Arts Gallery, Martinez, California

    “Range of Light”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • The Village Theatre Art Gallery, Danville, California

    “Women Who Dare”

    Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

2021

  • Lamorinda Arts Council Art Gallery at the Orinda Library, Orinda, California

    “COVID-19 Retrospective - 80 Inspired Artworks Escape Local Studios”

    (Includes the Bay Area Studio Artists group)

  • Orinda Books, Orinda, California

“Trailblazers”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Lamorinda Arts Alliance (LAA) at aRt Cottage, Concord California

    “Slice of Life”

  • North Beach First Fridays Online Gallery, North Beach, San Francisco, California

  • Lamorinda Arts Alliance (LAA) at Main Street Arts Gallery, Martinez, California

“Tiny but Mighty, Honoring RBG”

Bay Area Studio Artists’ collaborative painting of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “RBG”

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

“The Art of Community 2021”

2020

  • Bay Area Studio Artists’ collaborative painting of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “RBG” featured in the National Women’s History Museum’s December edition of “A Different Point of View” publication.

  • John Muir Hospital, Auxiliary’s Aspen Center Art Show —Virtual 2020 Fall exhibit

Bay Area Studio Artists Group Exhibit

  • Lamorinda Arts Alliance (LAA) at the aRt Cottage, Concord, California

    “Summer Musings”

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

“The Art of Community 2020”

  • The Bay Area Studio Artists present a virtual exhibit “Inspired By…” —originally scheduled at the Orinda California Library but was cancelled due to the 2020 pandemic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J2ThWUYGXE

2019

  • The Village Theatre Art Gallery, Danville, California

“The 2019 Affordable Art Show” — juried exhibit

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

The Art of Community 2019

2018

  • Orinda Books, Orinda, California

“The Herd Instinct”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Lamorinda Arts Alliance at the Lindsay Dirkx Brown Gallery, San Ramon, CA

“Landscapes: Plein Air to Imaginare” – juried exhibit

  • The Village Theatre Art Gallery, Danville, California

“Mix It Up” – juried exhibit

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

    The Art of Community 2018

2017

  • Lafayette Library Gallery, Lafayette, California

“Celebrating the National Park Service’s Centennial”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

          “The Art of Community 2017

  • Martinez Library, Martinez, California

Celebrating the National Park Service’s Centennial

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

Magical Realism: Allegory, Dreams and Myth” – juried exhibit

  • Lafayette Library Gallery, Lafayette, California

“Build Your Brain”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit                                         

  • Arts Benicia Gallery, Benicia, California

Gems IV” – juried exhibit

2016

  • Arts Benicia, Benicia, California

“The Art of Community 2016”

  • aRt Cottage, Concord, California

“Mark Jezierney & Students”

  • Napa Library, Napa, California

“A Moment Away”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Lamorinda Arts Council Art Gallery at the Orinda Library, Orinda, California

“A Different Brilliance”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Orinda Books, Orinda, California

“Celebrating the National Park Service’s Centennial,”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

2015

  • Chimney Rock Winery, Napa, California

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit (November 2014 – June 2015)         

  • Live Worms Gallery in North Beach, San Francisco, California

“The Garden of Alacrity, 12 Artists on the Brink of Spring Equinox”

  • Lafayette Town Hall Theatre, Lafayette, CA

“Octagonal”

  • The Piedmont Center for the Arts, Piedmont, California

“Lamorinda Arts Alliance 1st Annual Exhibit”— juried exhibit

Healdsburg Center for the Arts, Healdsburg, California

“Pairings: Collaborative Works” –juried exhibit

Bay Area Studio Artists collaborative piece

  • Orinda Books, Orinda, California

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit

  • Marilyn Citron O’Rourke Gallery in the Benicia Public Library, Benicia, California

“Light/Dark”

Bay Area Studio Artists group exhibit