Renée A. Santhouse

Renée A. Santhouse received a B.A. in English and Theater from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, and an M.A. in Fine Art Printmaking with an emphasis on Stone Lithography from California State University, Long Beach. Her Master’s Thesis compared the aesthetic qualities of stone and offset lithography, and explored the presentation of an edition of prints as a single piece of art. After formal graduation, she studied at Dieu Donne and the Center for Book Arts, in New York City and the Creative Arts Workshop, in Connecticut. Her instructors have included: Robert Blackburn, Charles Boer, Karla Streng, Richard Swift, Gene Sturman, Kumi Korf, Heidi Kyle, and Jim Van Eimeren.

Upon graduation, Santhouse worked as a printmaking and film instructor and then moved into advertising, print and website management, as art director and subsequently publications manager for a number of international corporations, in New York City and Connecticut. She founded and operated a marketing and advertising firm with national and international clientele while on a 3-year sojourn in Texas.
A practicing artist, Renée A. Santhouse has had numerous solo and group exhibitions of her artwork, specializing in plein air painting, printing and book arts, often combining digital media with more traditional techniques. She was one of the featured artists in the 4th Annual Connecticut Printmakers Invitational, at the Hygienic Galleries, New London, Connecticut, in 2015, and is the Curator and Communications Manager of an art collection in New Haven, Connecticut.

Renée is a member of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, the Westport Arts Center and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County. She lives with her husband and dog in a home and studio in Wilton, Connecticut. Her 6-member band, Zu Zazz, plays an eclectic mix of hot string jazz and American roots music at area venues.

Artist Statement
My artwork explores the abstraction and celebration of geological formations and events in time, based on history and on-site exploration. I strive to present a concentrated and dynamic view of a landscape that has the potential to excite. I often use the artistic processes of monotype and monoprint, free form techniques that requires quick execution, to emphasize atmosphere and color. These original prints are created using multiple plates and glazing, with water-based Akua inks, often in combination with original digital archival prints.