CITYSCAPES

Suzanne Poursine Massion

    My cityscape paintings are of small town America. Twelve miles to the east of my home, the Fox River winds its way through a beautiful river valley dotted with villages and towns. The Fox flows into the Illinois River and, ultimately, into the great Mississippi.

     These small cities along the river were settled by pioneers moving west. People came to the Fox, stopped their westward move, saw wonderful possibilities and started foundries, banks, and other family businesses. They built churches of many faiths. They constructed bridges across the river and built stately homes on the west bank.

    The rail road line came through, and the towns grew. These were hard working blue collar cities, the home of watch factories, mills, and breweries.

     Today the old houses and buildings are considered quaint, and many are preserved and restored for their historical value.

    I paint these places for a different reason. Each skyline has its own personality. As I search alleys and back streets, loading docks and factories, places overlooked and forgotten, I seek the unusual subject for my work. I paint the town’s heart and soul.

    The well-known landmark buildings, the bridges, the gardens as well as the grittier old sections of town speak to me of the strength and spirit of those early people. The paintings reveal an urban heartland, before malls, before speedy marts, before big box stores, before local streets became retail sprawl. Church spires sit close by the downtown main street and people still live close enough to walk everywhere.

      Art collectors who purchase these paintings have a strong connection to the past and a love for something unique. Due to urban renewal and demolition, many of my cityscapes do have a historical value, and collectors are acquiring them as a gentle reminder of the past.