Village Artisans is located at 100 Corry St. and is a cooperative of 18 to 20 artists exhibiting their unique works in glass, wood, ceramics, jewelry, painting, photography, sculptures and fabrics.
Brezine has touched the lives of countless artists in the region and has inspired some people to try art for the first time, her fellow artists say.
In early 2020, Brezine broke her hip and underwent surgery. She is recovering in a nursing home. Until the injury, Brezine, who is in her 80′s, was an active artist, continuing to evolve on the types of subjects she wanted to paint.
“So we’re her sending cards and all that kind of stuff,” said Theresa Mayer, Village Artisans member. “We told her we’re going to put up her work, and she told us, ‘But I can’t be there to help with it!’ We said, ‘We’ll put it up.’”
Brezine’s many involvements in the region’s art community includes serving as president of the Fairborn Art Association, president of the Western Ohio Watercolor Society, and a member of Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors.
“I think she’s mentored more people than anybody I know,” Mayer said. “She’s so encouraging.”
Brezine is a beloved member of the co-op and a personal friend of the artists who take turns operating the gallery, her fellow artists say.
Over the years, Brezine has received numerous awards for her work, including recognition from the Western Ohio Watercolor Society and “The Artist Magazine.” She’s also been recognized with many other awards from throughout the Miami Valley.
“Sue has a unique way of drawing and painting things as she saw them, like a painting of a llama with a hairdo that I am sure made her smile,” wrote Melanie Morrett, Village Artisans media coordinator, in a release. “She helps us see beauty even in the ordinary things in life, like her painting of a boy by a curb in Ireland, an up close view of a cabbage, a golden sea of grasses looking out over a beautiful blue body of water. Sue’s art enables us to see through her eyes, so we can experience her subjects as freshly as she does.”
Brezine is a native Daytonian. As a child, she studied at the Dayton Art Institute, according to a Village Artisans release. Her teaching career began after a trip to the University of California, Long Beach to study with Betty Edwards, author of the influential book, “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain.” Brezine taught this method at Riverbend Art Center, Dayton, Kettering Adult School and many other venues, and these classes led to the creation of the workshop, “Sketching Your Spirit,” which has been presented to countless religious and professional organizations over the years.
Her love of drawing eventually led to a passion for painting both watercolor and pastels. Brezine has a special gift for understanding colors and creating pieces that will make people happy, Mayer said.
While living in the countryside near Yellow Springs, Brezine planted a field of colorful wildflowers to model some of her paintings.
“Some of her work are serious paintings, yet many have a sense of humor to them, like one of her watercolors capturing a pig with his snout sticking out a hole in a barn wall,” according to the release. “Still, other of her much smaller paintings were playful and funny caricatures of various farm animals like chickens, ducks and pigs, that she uses to create many adorable note cards.”
Her work is available for purchase in a variety of forms — from note cards, to framed award-winning art, available in both original pieces and prints.
The gallery’s hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m.
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