Suzanne Rock’s fascination with people began when she was just a young girl.
Trips to the dime store with her mother, she said, were a welcome opportunity; a chance to look up at the intricacies and emotions painted across the faces of strangers.
Today, she paints those faces to capture a ‘little glimpse of the inner self? on canvas, and through March 6, her work is on display at the Orion Art Center.
Her passion for paint, she said, is a lifelong experience.
‘My mother wasn’t an artist, but she always gave us all kinds of art supplies,? she said. ‘We made all kinds of things; we devastated the house, but she didn’t care. We were being creative.?
As an accomplished artist, Rock has exhibited her work in many juried shows in Michigan and won a variety of awards, and she presently has paintings on display in the Flint Art Museum.
And, while she’ll exhibit a number of portraits at the OAC, the show marks the first public display of her woodland paintings.
Like her portraits, Rock said, her woodland depictions are inspired by from an awareness that began in childhood as she grew up on the lake and developed a sense of appreciation for nature and the outdoors’and a desire to capture it on her canvas.
‘There’s something about the crunchiness of the leaves and the moss beneath your feet that renews your spirit,? she said. ‘Nature does that.?
Visitors to the OAC can indulge in a variety of Rock’s woodland and landscape and portrait work in oil, watercolor and acrylic.
In addition, she’ll be painting onsite Saturday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 20, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
‘Suzanne is my favorite artist,? said Reggie Harrison, OAC executive director. ‘If people want to commission a portrait, this is the perfect venue to see her work. She can make a portrait jump off the page, and her woodlands are just gorgeous. It’s not an easy thing to do, but she’s mastered all the mediums.?
Rock also participates in a Monday night portrait and figure group at Margot’s gallery in Oxford.
The group, she said, operates on a drop-in format. Each week, anywhere from 8-15 artists turn out to paint a model brought in by the gallery; an elderly gentleman one week, and a child in a ballerina costume the next.
The gallery is located at 5 S. Washington St. in Oxford. Call 248-853-0782
The Orion Art Center is located at 115 South Anderson Street. Call 248-693-4986 for more information, or visit www.orionartcenter.org for more information.

WOODLAND INSPIRATIONS
Opening reception:
for artist Suzanne Rock
Orion Art Center
Thursday, Feb. 11
7 p.m.-9 p.m.

On exhibit:
Feb. 7-March 6
Wednesday-Friday10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Artist onsite Saturday, Feb. 13
and Saturday, Feb. 20
11 a.m.-3 p.m.