Susan Clanton started her painting career about 7 years ago. She has had an interest in art since childhood, drawing and painting for fun but finally decided to study art. Susan started attending UAH in 1995 when her oldest child began high school.

They graduated within two weeks of each other in May of 2000. She received an art studio degree and a teaching certificate and taught high school art for two years. While Susan had enjoyed being a student, she was not as fond of being in front of the classroom so she decided to pursue painting full time.

Susan began studying portrait painting with long time friend and well known Huntsville artist Maggie Little. She also studied with the late Jack Dempsey. Working with Mrs. Little and Mr. Dempsey gave Susan the tools to begin a serious study of painting.

She believes “each new painting is another step in the exciting adventure of learning to paint.” Susan’s original intention was to become a portrait painter, and she has been commissioned for several portraits during the last few years. But several years ago, she was commissioned to paint a beloved family pet and her painting began an additional direction.

She has since painted many pets, mostly dogs but also a few cats. This has led to an interest in other animals. Since cows are easy to find within the city, thanks to Jones Valley, Susan started painting them. That led to other farm animals which can be found within Madison County. She has enjoyed painting sheep and most recently geese. “With each new piece, I am continuing to develop the interplay of warm and cool colors. I am drawn to rich, vibrant color, and I am exploring how to use them in painting realistic and expressive animals. Each animal has unique movements and characteristics that I try to capture in my paintings.”

The show will include a collection of animal paintings and commissioned portraits. Whether the painting is a person, pet or farm animal, Susan, “finds it a challenging and rewarding experience to find the individuality and personality of the subject and then express it on canvas.” Please join Susan for a reception on 20 August, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at HAL.