Susan Schlepp

Artist Statement

ABOUT THE ARTIST SUSAN R. SCHLEPP

Background:
Susan R. Schlepp is a dynamic expressionist artist from Bellevue, WA, originally from Pittsburgh, PA, with degrees in Marketing & International Business from FIU, along with 13 years of art study in a variety of formal classes, workshops, art residencies and art retreats. She has a passion for mixed media painting, printmaking and collaging gaining inspiration from the natural world & her inner landscape. Her colorful art flows instinctively with each piece having a unique story to tell, uplifting the viewer and enhancing the space it resides in. Susan believes the arts, as a whole, elevate, broaden and deepen our lives in countless ways and should be supported and accessible to all.

Motivation:
Susan has a heart for social and environmental justice and sees the arts as a means of dynamic expression and increased awareness of pressing issues. She gives back to charitable organizations through donations of art to fundraising events raising nearly $10,000 to date for a multitude of worthy organizations.

Healing:
In 2013, Susan began pursuing art in response to suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Playing with color was deeply healing and allowed her to rise above gloomy skies and drizzly days. She discovered that creating art offers a tangible way to express and process a multitude of thoughts and emotions. She now harnesses the full spectrum of color in all its hues, shades, tints and tones to lift the soul and help navigate the ups and downs of life. Now living with Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), Susan finds that art is the best medicine of all and helps her cope with chronic pain.

Venues:
Susan's art can currently be found at Domicile Gallery in Madison Park, Found Interiors in Kirkland, Willard Art & Frame in Bothell, Hannah Colleen Salon in Sammamish, RH2 Engineering in Bellevue, and at Sommer Haus Online Gallery.

Endeavors:
Winter 2026, Susan crafted collages from found materials in Laguna Beach, CA. Winter 2025, she created a tropically inspired series on Maui. Spring 2025, Susan studied Color Design, 2D Design & Art History Bellevue College. Winter 2025, she expanded her skillset in Honolulu & San Diego with experimental techniques & formal classes. Spring 2024, she participated in a week-long online workshop to delve deeper into design, value & color.

Summer 2023, Susan was invited to Santa Catarina in Puglia, Italy to participate in a special art project where she created & photographed her temporary art installations in the Porto Selvaggio Nature Preserve. While there, she made natural pigment paint from the rock sediment, produced prints from native botanicals and painted daily. Video catalog of the event here.

Winter 2023, Susan was an artist-in-residence at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Italy for six weeks where she painted daily and learned many printmaking techniques, all while soaking in the art, architecture & culture of this magnificent 'floating' city.

Giving Back:
Susan has volunteered at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission Art Therapy program for the unsheltered and curated the pop-up art show at the monthly Pioneer Square Art Walk. She has led art classes with youth at the Denny Detention Center and witnessed the power of art to positively transform states of mind. She occasionally teaches workshops and loves to encourage people to unlock their inner artist and reap the many benefits. From the beginning of her artistic pursuits, Susan has been donating original artwork to fundraising events to support non-profit organizations raising nearly $10,000 for worthy causes.

Influences:
As a child, Susan created art at the Carnegie Museum of Art's Saturday morning program in Pittsburgh, PA having been chosen by her grade school art teacher. This began a life-long appreciation of art in its many forms and periods which grew into a passion. Susan was greatly influenced by the Impressionists, Post-Impressionists, Fauves, & Abstract Expressionists. She feels an affinity to late nineteenth century French artists who pioneered Premier Coup or the 'first strike' method, which adds spontaneity to the process. She continues to evolve in her craft through experimentation, formal classes, workshops, and art residencies.