The Muses of Greek mythology were the goddesses of inspiration. More contemporary and down to earth, a muse can simply be defined as someone who is the source of inspiration for a creative entity.

One such muse is local artist Susan Duke, who has inspired many paintings (done by her late husband George H. Gibbens III, a truly gifted artist) and also inspired many songs (written by her late husband Patrick Posey, a talented musician and songwriter).

In addition to the diverse art she may have inspired, she is also a passionate and prolific artist in her own right – a full-time professional artist.

Duke’s inspirational work will be featured in two upcoming local exhibitions. The first of those will be a one-woman solo show beginning April 22 at the Marlene Yu Museum at 710 Travis St. in downtown Shreveport. The opening of the show, entitled “Ephemeral Earth,” is, appropriately, on Earth Day and should run through late June.

Stephanie Lusk, director of the Marlene Yu Museum, said, “We are thrilled to be exhibiting Susan Duke’s art. In many ways, her work resonates and matches so well with Marlene Yu and the Rainforest Art Foundation. There is a sensitivity to the beauty, power and fragility of the earth and the ability to speak on its behalf through inspirational expressionist paintings.”

On the heels of the Yu exhibit, Duke will then participate in a unique two-person exhibit at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, which is currently scheduled to open on June 4 and run through the month of June. This will be a very special exhibit in that Duke will be sharing the gallery with the work of her late husband George H. Gibbens III. This will be the first time Gibbens’ art has been shown, or even publicly viewed, since his death in 2003. This installation will feature portraits of real people who inhabited the vibrant local music scene at the time.

“It is a time capsule of our local heritage and culture,” Duke said.

“As an Impressionist, Susan uses color to enhance her compositions. As a result, her work is as vibrant and full of life as she herself is,” said Nita Cole, curator at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum.

Duke has painted for most of her life. She is largely self-taught through a lifetime of studying art and many diverse museum collections around the country and abroad.

Among her earliest childhood memories are times spent painting at her little table and easel in front of windows overlooking beautiful flowers. Landscapes remain among her favorite subjects to paint.

However, in addition to landscapes, she also paints portraits and figurative works, having recently completed two commissioned military pieces.

“I was thrilled to be asked to create paintings honoring our military heroes. One painting depicted 21 men of our Special Ops in Afghanistan. The second was a more historical scene showing our past and present protectors of freedom. Prints were sent to the troops in Afghanistan, and giclée prints are being made available to interested parties,” Duke said.

“My deep respect for the military is solidly ingrained in me, as I come from a Marine family. My father earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses along with many other medals and awards,” Duke said.

Given her devotion to landscapes, it is appropriate that Duke’s home and studio are located deep within the beautiful and sheltering woods of Northwest Louisiana.

As for technique and media, Duke creates most of her work in oils, using a bold impasto technique derived from painting with palette knives.

“I love the interaction of the palette knives, the canvas and the colors. This gives me a freedom and power that cannot be achieved with brushes,” Duke said.

Duke says her artist statement would be: “I paint because I simply have to – to express gratitude and as a way of giving back. I feel impelled to express reverence and awe for the energy of our beautiful, magical, wondrous world.”

With two upcoming high-profile exhibits, commissions and daily inspiration from the world around her, Susan Duke’s is definitely a life lived in full color.

For more information on Susan Duke’s upcoming exhibits, call: Louisiana State Exhibit Museum at 632-2020 or the Marlene Yu Museum at 717-9111.

– Karl Hasten

Portrait by Daryl Chitty