Chesley House

Chesley House Fine Art Photography is the combined talents of Susan Arness and Ron Hewson. But the brand is much more than just a banner under which they work: Susan and Ron share creative energy through working together, influencing each other’s vision. In 2014, the exhibition “City and Country” showed Susan’s photographs of rural Waterloo region. Ron’s photographs were architectural abstracts—stylized in composition and use of colour. The different topics and styles were united by underlying elements of mystery and humour. 

Now their photography has become more entwined. Susan’s landscapes are more often black and white, rich with layers of detail. And while her work has become more urban, Ron’s has become less focused on urban street photography. His farms and rural landscapes are often shot as panoramas, a technique he learned from Susan and adapted it to his work. They produce their work on metal, wood, paper, and canvas.

What I love about the creative life is the constant state of change. Whenever I think my art is about one thing another, often contradictory, idea presents itself. Trying to define or categorize our art is so hard because once one says “this is what my art is about,” the Muse goes “oooh look at that. Let’s go there!“ often dragging us off in a totally unexpected direction.