Artists: Susan Blackwood

Born in Chicago, Susan Blackwood comes from six generations of artists. She remembers her first art instructions, sitting on the knees of her Dad, oil/watercolor painter and sculptor, David Swartout. Susan received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University and in 1982 Susan extended her watercolor studies with Irving Shapiro at the American Academy of Art in Chicago.  After 32 years as a watercolorist, Susan more recently switched to oil painting with her paintings heartily received by patrons, galleries, and museums. 

"I have chosen as my subject matter the simple, beautiful, touching moments that are common both in nature and in the life of every person. These are the moments that often pass without notice and are the very ones that lend continuity to our lives and contribute to its richness and depth. These moments are the language I use when I paint."  

Susan's works are in the collections of American Express, the French Consulate of Lahore, Pakistan, Anheuser Bush, the Tucson Desert Museum and many others. Susan regularly participates in the Oil Painters of America Show; the CM Russell Auction of Original Western Art; and is a member of the Montana Painter's Alliance.