About Us
Whimsical Wildlife Documentarian. Abstract Painter. Story Teller. Creativity Consultant. I have documented the Lost Cave Paintings of Saint Paul, the Wild Parrots of the Grim Winter of 2013, the Backyard Roosters of Saint Paul, and a host of other creatures. My abstract art demonstrates that every person and idea looks and works better because of what surrounds it. Using 2-d and 3-d, I create neighborhoods that model best collaborative behavior. As Chief Whimsy Officer of my enterprises, I am always working on my Prime Directive: Spread Whimsy.
The products and services we offer
Recommendations Received (15)
"Susan brings colorful, whimsical creatures to life. They bring a touch of joy to your home or..."
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"Susan brings colorful, whimsical creatures to life. They bring a touch of joy to your home or office. "
"The whimsey is alive and well in all of Susan's creations!"
Products & Services
Whether in 2-dimensional watercolor or 3-dimensional hand-created paper mosaic tile, each piece looks better because of the pieces that surround it...
22x33 coloring page based on Big Neighborhoods 2, an original watercolor. $48 plus shipping or pickup in Saint Paul.
https://squareup.com/store/n...
Elevate your home or office with fine and FUN art from Susan Gainen. Working with clients in Saint Paul and beyond to offer original works, limited...
Gallery
Recommendations Given (27)
"Exquisite work. Always beautiful and infinitely wearable. ❤️♥️❤️"
"Stupendously beautiful, exciting, challenging and wonderful art pieces can be your when your..."
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"Stupendously beautiful, exciting, challenging and wonderful art pieces can be your when your mission and Anne's imagination come together. High ceilings accepted."
Recent Activity
It depends on what I'm writing, and where I'm writing, and whether I'd rather use a fountain pen, a Blackwing Pencil or a desktop computer. No, I don't have a functioning laptop.
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It depends on what I'm writing, and where I'm writing, and whether I'd rather use a fountain pen, a Blackwing Pencil or a desktop computer. No, I don't have a functioning laptop.
I will write a review of a book that compels me to keep reading. Example: John Carreyrou's Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-up fascinated me from the first time I heard him interviewed on the radio. Elizabeth Holmes -- Stanford Chemistry drop out starts a company, becomes the...
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I will write a review of a book that compels me to keep reading. Example: John Carreyrou's Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-up fascinated me from the first time I heard him interviewed on the radio. Elizabeth Holmes -- Stanford Chemistry drop out starts a company, becomes the first and youngest female billionaire, flames out. I borrowed it three times from the library before actually buying a hard-back copy. No spoilers here from me, but if you love corporate crime with characters you can't make up, this one's for you.
Saint Paul is busy. New retail. New business. New food. New ideas in civic engagement. Hooray!
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Saint Paul is busy. New retail. New business. New food. New ideas in civic engagement. Hooray!
You need to get out and about. Art fairs are a good start. If your work is car-related, try car shows. Think about your ideal customer. Where does he hang out? Find someone who will test-wear your product. Good luck.
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You need to get out and about. Art fairs are a good start. If your work is car-related, try car shows. Think about your ideal customer. Where does he hang out? Find someone who will test-wear your product. Good luck.
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Buy a piece of original art because: You love it. It speaks to you. You have connected with the artist. It is a unique piece -- "unique" in the dictionary sense -- one of a kind. If you commission a piece, it is all yours always because you collaborated with the artist. If you are at an art...
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Buy a piece of original art because: You love it. It speaks to you. You have connected with the artist. It is a unique piece -- "unique" in the dictionary sense -- one of a kind. If you commission a piece, it is all yours always because you collaborated with the artist. If you are at an art fair, you will be able to meet a lot of artists, and you have many chances to make these personal connections. When you speak to an artist, be honest about your finances. We know that everyone can't spring for a $5000 piece and not many people have space for a 5x10-foot painting or a 6-foot sculpture. If you like someone's work, they may have options for you: smaller pieces, prints of original work, or payment plans. Ask for what you want. Do not ask for a discount. This work is the artist's livelihood. The very first piece of art that I bought: I was living in San Francisco in the early 1970s, and was walking around Ghiridelli Square. I looked into a gallery and saw the most amazing red geranium hanging on the back wall. I love red geraniums, and was drawn in. The geranium is a signed and numbered lithograph by Arnold Iger, and I have other pieces of his because his work spoke (called) to me. It is still hanging in my bedroom. I can't remember the price, but as I was earning $550 a month, the price made me gasp. But I bought it and I treasure it.
First, define art in the broadest terms. If you mean “painting,” then no—everyone neither wants nor needs a painting. If, on the other hand, you include music, dance, cooking, storytelling, all of the arts and crafts, poetry, and everything else that might be covered in a broad definition of...
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First, define art in the broadest terms. If you mean “painting,” then no—everyone neither wants nor needs a painting. If, on the other hand, you include music, dance, cooking, storytelling, all of the arts and crafts, poetry, and everything else that might be covered in a broad definition of art, then, yes—everyone needs art. And people find art in dust which makes sunbeams and starlight.
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It depends. If I have a deadline, I work to the deadline. If I'm working on a project, sometimes I deliberately un-focus, standing back either literally or figuratively. Sometimes that brings the project back into focus. Sometimes I get a cup of coffee. Like all good questions -- it depends.
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It depends. If I have a deadline, I work to the deadline. If I'm working on a project, sometimes I deliberately un-focus, standing back either literally or figuratively. Sometimes that brings the project back into focus. Sometimes I get a cup of coffee. Like all good questions -- it depends.
Do your job. Treat everyone with the respect that you previously treated them.
This is 2019. You are not the first gay man these people have encountered. After the childish giggles have subsided, you will probably be able to identify the handful of hostile haters. Document their disrespect and...
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Do your job. Treat everyone with the respect that you previously treated them.
This is 2019. You are not the first gay man these people have encountered. After the childish giggles have subsided, you will probably be able to identify the handful of hostile haters. Document their disrespect and abuse. Breathe deeply. Then enlist HR.
I give out postcards with my most current images and appropriate contact info.
A wise woman, Artist Kat Corrigan, told a workshop audience the awkward little secret of business cards: they end up crumpled or laundered. Postcards with great images go on the fridge.
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I give out postcards with my most current images and appropriate contact info.
A wise woman, Artist Kat Corrigan, told a workshop audience the awkward little secret of business cards: they end up crumpled or laundered. Postcards with great images go on the fridge.
I don't make resolutions -- they find their way to the scrap heap of January 15. I have some ideas for 2019, which, if carefully executed, may clear the way for grand new projects.
First, I have decided to clean one shelf or one drawer every day until I run out of both. Unlikely, as I have a...
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I don't make resolutions -- they find their way to the scrap heap of January 15. I have some ideas for 2019, which, if carefully executed, may clear the way for grand new projects.
First, I have decided to clean one shelf or one drawer every day until I run out of both. Unlikely, as I have a lot of spaces. I am on Day 7. It is enormously pleasurable, and I'm keeping a list and making piles of things to give away.
Second, with all of that stuff coming out of the woodwork, I will make a donation trip every week. One of the points of the exercise is to get this stuff out of the house.
Third, as a lifelong passionate cook (and cookbook collector: lots of them are leaving in the first project), I'm returning to the kitchen to create a new dish or variation every week. I'm all ready: sharp knives, great pots and pans, an Insta-pot, a Kitchen Aid, and a Cuisinart.
All of this excitement will fuel my energy for new art: new creatures, new abstracts, and, perhaps a manuscript.
Happy New Year!
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