Susie Rachles

  Susie is an artist whose passion for life and art is vividly seen in her colorful canvases. From a very early age she knew she would someday be an artist. Susie grew up in the Midwest and graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelors Degree in Interior Design. She owned her own design firm working in commercial interior design and space planning for over 20 years in Indianapolis, Indiana. The time she spent in design is evident in the compositional foundation and exceptional color sense found in her work. After retiring from her design firm Susie decided to dedicate all her professional talents to painting full time.

 Susie paints primarily in oils, capturing the landscape and architecture of the Midwest and Southeast of the U.S. Her style of painting has been described as 'impressionistic realism', while she also likes to think of herself  as a 'colorist'. She has traveled and studied out west in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona and also Italy and France. "I love to paint...whether the subject is a landscape, animal or still life, my focus is on the use of color, light and the texture of the oil paint to convey a mood". In her paintings, Susie concentrates on seeing and conveying the effects of color and light on form. Her desire to work from life and to vary her subject matter led her to branch out and begin painting outside, 'en plein air'. "Painting from life, especially outside on location, is critical in learning to see colors and understanding value relationships."

 Susie has studied painting with various national artists including C.W.Mundy, MOPA, Camille Prezewodik, a California colorists and Lois Griffell, Director of the Cape Cod School of Art. She considers herself a student of the 'Masters', such as Sargent, Zorn and Monet. She is currently a member of 'Oil Painters of America', American Impressionist Society and is both artist member and board member of the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association. She also serves on the board of the Watercolor Society of Indiana and is a member of the 'Hoosier Salon', the oldest artist club in Indiana. She has won several awards in juried shows, and has had numerous one person shows. Her work is in several private collections across the U.S.

 Susie teaches teens and adults drawing and painting in her studio at the historic Stutz Building, which houses many well-known Indiana artists in downtown Indianapolis.