|
Suzanne Faith Baybutt, a recent designate of the People to People International Artistic Ambassador Program from the Greater Palm Beach Chapter. Suzanne utilizing her classic pen and ink illustrations, and pressed flower artwork designed a commemorative note card, "Healing the Spirit of the World," for PTPI’s 14th Worldwide Conference held November 8-11, 2000 in Kowloon, Hong Kong. A framed print of the design was presented as a gift by Suzanne to Archbishop Desmond Tutu this year’s recipient of the People to People International’s Eisenhower Medallion. "Healing the Spirit of the World" will also be featured on the cover of the next "People" magazine. Suzanne recently returned from a series of lectures in the art of Pressed Flower Arrangement in Taiwan and Japan. A publisher in Japan will also produce a book of her pressed flower graphics techniques. Congratulations, Suzanne, and much continued success! Suzanne Faith Baybutt paints with flowers. Her detailed illustrations combine pen and ink work with flowers she grows, and presses from her garden. The illusion created by combining these two mediums often makes it difficult to tell what is “real” from what is drawn. Over the past twenty years Suzanne has worked to perfect her medium, elevating the craft of pressed flowers to that of a fine art form. The evolution of Suzanne’s art career has taken many twists and turns over the years. Formally educated as a psychiatric nurse, Suzanne used her passion for drawing as an escape and way to bring balance into her life at the end of a hectic day. Gradually, Suzanne became more occupied with drawing, as she turned her visions into miniature worlds reflecting the details of a brief moment captured in time. After 10 years of nursing in Manhattan it became evident to Suzanne her true joy came from creating art and she needed to be in a more natural environment where this expression could be nurtured. In 1979, Suzanne moved to Cape Cod Massachusetts where she had previously spent many summers at her parent’s home. She felt the quaint New England villages and rustic ocean vistas offered the perfect environment for an artist in love with nature. The local art scene also presented many opportunities for participation with the large artist community, which was very supportive of her creativity. Early in Suzanne’s art career she used locally sponsored art shows to display her illustrations. Her work gained a steady following and the idea of having a more consistent arena to display her work eventually prompted her to open a gallery in her home.
Having a home gallery worked well since it gave Suzanne an opportunity to engage in her other passion; flower gardening. Suzanne takes great joy in selecting the flowers she will grow each year and waits with anticipation for the blooms to surround her house with color. Pressing these blooms became a way for her to preserve the memory of their beauty. One day, somewhat serendipitously while examining some pressed floral specimens, she took out her ink pen and drew a basket to create a format for arranging them. When the arrangement was complete she framed the design and took it to her next art show. The pressed floral arrangement generated so much interest that it was quickly sold. The encouragement she received to make more designs forced her to plan ahead for the following year and carefully select the flowers she would need to plant to produce the colors she wanted for her designs.
Suzanne’s unique style and approach to this art form has resulted from her exposure to various pressing techniques used around the world. As a member of the Pressed Flower Guild of Great Britain, Suzanne has been to England to observe their methods of pressing and assembly. In addition, as a member of the International Pressed Flower Art Society, Suzanne has been taught by the Japanese master presser Nobuo Sugino. Flowers have been a significant part of the Japanese heritage where pressing flowers can be traced back to the early 17th century. Today, significant numbers of pressed flower instructors participate in the education of students in this widely accepted art form.
Perfection of Suzanne’s pressed floral designs was acknowledged by the Japanese in 1997 when she was selected as one of eight artists to represent the United States when her work was published in the first ever “International Pressed Flower Art Book.” In 1998, the main cultural exhibit at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan featured the pressed floral art work of Suzanne and other international artists paying tribute to the universal language of flowers around the world. In 1999, Suzanne was once again honored by the Japanese as they presented her pressed floral design,” The Healing Heart”, with the distinguished “Chairman of the Japan Hanaippai Federation Prize” and the “Future Dream Grand Prix” at the International Pressed Floral Art Festival held that year in Japan.
Suzanne’s signature design “The Healing Heart” is symbolic of the power that love has to heal. Combining her artistic talent with her professional education as a psychiatric registered nurse Suzanne began to create these hearts to help lift the spirits of those struggling with serious disease or emotional pain. Over time the gift of a “Healing Heart” has also become a way to honor individuals for their contribution in helping to heal the spirit of the world. Following
the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks the world witnessed the spirit of the
American people rise from the ashes of devastation to ring out the clear true
voice of freedom. In honor of that
spirit Suzanne created “Healing the Spirit of a Nation” as a sister design
to her “Healing the Spirit of the World”.
Suzanne is currently working on a book on the "healing"
effects of working with pressed flowers and how this medium can help promote a
general sense of well being. The book will also have step by step instruction
for floral design using her graphical illustrations as a base for creating.
For further information please contact:
47 Great Western Rd. |
||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
(close window to return or click here) |
