The Dot Dilemma: the importance of incessant internal chatter that matters A series of dot paintings that were initially created beginning in 2021 in response to the pandemic. Back then, we often stood on dots as indicated by shopkeepers to keep our bodies six feet apart from one another. I am interested in dots as a metaphor. Dots and circles are playful, like a child's toy ball. However, standing on them in grim circumstances changes their meaning. We are and were living in troubled times. A circle can remind us of our universal truths and commonalities—we were all joined in the pain of the pandemic, with sickness and death always looming. We all live on a globe called Earth. In deciding to paint dots in a playful manner, I was no longer interested in depicting pain and displacement but instead hope. May this work always bring you a sense of calm and joy, but also remembrance of that which we all endured together. The Dot Dilemma: incessant internal chatter that matters is my newest series, begun in 2021. The Dot Dilemma series invented itself while I was sleeping and awake—these paintings insisted on being painted beginning early in 2021. My body asked for me to make circles and to look through the world via a small circular openings. I actually walked around for months with a circle cut out of a piece of painted cardboard. I had several of these, in different colors. My little peek holes into the world. In my body I realized that through COVID-19 we stand on dots and we operate as if we had bubbles surrounding us in public. We move around one another as if to say, "don't come near me, watch out" and at the same time we are expressing the idea of "I respect your space, your body, and your health." I am interested in this push pull of human existence. I am interested in why I chat with myself about these space bubbles when I go outside of my home. Sometimes I feel safe. Sometimes I feel anxious. Sometimes I feel angry. I paint from my experiences. I also think of the circle as metaphor—there are no edges, no endings and no beginnings, we are all one. We are all in this pandemic together. And even with the seriousness of life in a pandemic I see that our existence is not all horrible and that dots represent playful moments in life. We are living in troubled times and dots can remind us of our universal truths and commonalities. Dots are the beginning of something new. My work is idealistic, spontaneous and direct. I capture the fascination and gratitude I find in everyday life. I address a personal incessant internal chatter that matters, but is rarely heard. My art calls upon the viewer’s understanding of common daily repetitive work that goes unnoticed and often unpaid. The strength of my images lies in my art’s elegance and confidence with a touch of whimsy. I value curiosity and personal responsibility above all else. I believe if we each take the time to respect all human interaction, even of and with those we don't like or agree with; and if we all kept our promises to ourselves and others the world might start to reach the idealistic version that I see while I am making work. My autobiographical writing generously shares thoughts on living a curiously contemplative and creative life. The deep work I have done to understand myself and my creative journey has led me to the art I make. Suzanne’s work can be found online a via her website and Instagram. Suzanne holds a BFA in Design from Carnegie Mellon University, a Master of Science in Communication from University of Portland and a MFA in Studio Art from Claremont Graduate University.