About the Artist

Susan Fraley’s Artful Journey

Susan began her artful journey studying fine arts for two years before deciding to lay her paint brushes aside and obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Marketing. She went on to earn a Real Estate Brokerage License and eventually became the Principal Broker for a Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate company in Ohio.

Her love for the arts was rekindled when she was asked to work in the art department for Castle Rock Entertainment during the filming of The Shawshank Redemption. As the Set Estimator, one of her responsibilities was gathering local materials to be used for building sets. The Construction Coordinator and the Art Director would make some of their decisions based on the various samples she obtained.

Business opportunities continued to come her way when she and her husband purchased a national franchise in the pet industry. Once again Susan’s passion for art was put on hold. Fast forward 25 years, Susan knew in her heart she had to get those brushes out and smell the linseed oil again.

Today Susan paints full time from her studio in Florida. She is proud to be an accomplished self-taught artist with inspirations from travel and study in Austria and Italy. Her passion is creating large-scale oil paintings in an impressionism style with a slight nudge toward realism. She produces unexpected paint strokes using large brushes, brayers, wedges, and palette knives. Living in Florida, she has found a niche painting dramatic, provocative mermaids. However, an occasional dog, bird, cat or gecko is never out of the question.

Susan exhibits her work at her home studio as well as throughout Charlotte County, Florida.