Suzy Schultz
Suzy Schultz is an artist whose paintings and drawings explore the themes of longing, struggle and the hope of transformation
She writes about her work:
I am drawn to subjects that have gone through the fire - whether through hardships, doubts, failures, or just the weathering of life - and have emerged refined with beauty, dignity or resilience.
My models are members of my community, my neighbors and my friends. I paint them because they give me hope that those fires of life could produce beauty, strength and dignity in myself. Through my work I attempt to show that transformation is possible, not only in my Atlanta neighborhood, but in the community at large.
Suzy grew up in St. Petersburg FL, and was encouraged in her art by her artist mother, and later her boss/mentor at a missions agency. She graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Mathematics Education and taught high school for 4 1/2 years. Taking a leave of absence, she spent a year overseas in Poland. On returning, she did some part-time graphic design work for a local missions agency, and was eventually hired to help with their publications. There she was mentored and nurtured in her artistic talent, and encouraged to paint for illustrations used in the magazine. When her mentor and boss left to go on the mission field six years later, she was told she needed to leave her job and paint full time, which she did.
She has painted full-time since 1995, and has won many awards for her work. Her work has been featured in American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur, Drawing, Watercolor Magic and The Art of Watercolour magazines. She has also had work published in Strokes of Genius 2, 3, 6, 12 and 13 and Art Journey: People, (Northlight Publishers), Splash 13, 21, 22 and 23, (F & W Media) and Oxford American. Her work has been juried into many shows, including The Philadelphia Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, American Watercolor Society, San Diego Watercolor Society, Southern Watercolor Society, Fort Wayne Museum of Art Contemporary Realism Biennial, and “Georgia Artists Select Georgia Artists” at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta, GA. She is a 2018, 2019 and 2020 Art Renewal Center Salon Finalist. She was recently invited into membership of the Hudson Valley Art Association and the American Arts Professional League.
Most recently, Suzy has ventured into street art, taking the fine art of the studio outside, onto sides of buildings. Her murals can be seen in Atlanta, GA and St. Petersburg, FL.
Photo by Bobbi Jo Brooks photography.
