Susiehyer, SHFA

Susie Hyer (Susiehyer)

Evergreen, CO

Attending art curriculums at Moravian College, The Baum School of Art, the University of West Florida, the Art Students League of Denver,and the Botanical Art and Illutration program at the Denver Botanic Gardens, Susiehyer is always looking to expand her repertoire and abilities. “I love the challenge of experimenting and pushing myself in new directions artistically. Of particular interest in my work is the idea of abstraction which can be the underlying foundation or framework of a painting, which holds it up and supports, or creates the design.”

Working from sketches, field studies, and photos in the studio, she is generally known for the landscape paintings, although she works in other genres as well. “I am blessed to be able to travel to study and paint directly from nature, and the Rocky Mountain and American southwest landscapes are a particular favorite. “Perhaps it’s because I was told, after taking aptitude tests in the eighth grade, that I was best suited for work as a cowboy or a park ranger. That having been said, I’ll paint almost anything that won’t move…”

Her home and studio in Colorado are surrounded by Ponderosa forests and mountains, and abundant wildlife visits are more than frequent, providing endless inspiration and enjoyment. “While it’s really hard to leave the mountains, I am lucky to travel to many beautiful places to paint and study nature. As a student of life however, most times it’s the people I meet in those places who are almost more inspiring than the landscape I’m there to paint.”

Working as a professional artist since 1976, this award-winning artist is a signature member of both the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society, Susie is the recipient of Moravian University’s Comenius Award for Lifetime Achievement and was recently honored with a legacy solo exhibition in the Payne Gallery, now part of a World Heritage Site in Bethlehem, Pa.