S. Susan Faircloth
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Peonies, acrylics, 11X14, $150
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Susan was raised on a ranch in West Texas, the middle daughter of five “cowgirls.” The ranch was a glorious playground with panoramic landscapes where hiking and horseback riding through wide open spaces filled with rolling hills, mesas, draws, and creeks were routine as they scrambled over rocks and up rim rock ledges, while avoiding cactus and rattlesnakes. Secretly, she wanted to sketch it all, but ranch life and chores took priority.
When 15, an aunt noticed her drawings and bought her first art supplies, giving her the courage to draw pencil portraits in high school and later progressing to pastel portraits. Following a move to Georgia after high school, she yearned to capture the western images from childhood. After joining a major airline, her career allowed for domestic and global travel where she pursued her interest in photography. She completed a year long evening graphic design course at the Art Institute of Atlanta and received an award for best portfolio. During her 42-year career as Manager-International Banking for the airline, she continued to fine-tune her artistic talent with commissioned pastel portraits, added pen and ink drawings, watercolors, and then, oils for landscapes, some of which are painted from photos taken during these travels. An art studio added to her home a few years ago, finally provided a specific area with all supplies and tools in one space. In 2016, she crafted her first oil portrait and since retirement, she’s focused on her art and has taken a few sessions at the annual Art of the Carolinas in Raleigh, with a focus on oil portraits and landscapes, striving to improve her skills with each canvas. |
