Biography
A native of Utah, Susan N. Jarvis grew up in the foothills of Salt Lake City. Being raised in an active family, she spent many hours hiking, skiing, picnicking and camping. As a child she would often climb trees and wade in the creeks near her home to experience nature. She recollects wandering off from the family group to indulge in observation of people, beautiful scenes and animals.
Currently she gathers inspiration from spending many hours sketching and plein air painting in the city and mountains surrounding her home. Along with rendering landscape, she finds the human form fascinating and often paints images of her friends and family in an outdoor setting.
She studied art at the University of Utah and has taken advantage of many workshops with artists such as Quang Ho, C.W. Mundy, John Hughes, and Carolyn Anderson. Susan’s work reflects a contemporary realistic style and she is influenced by the masterworks of Joaquin Sorolla, John William Waterhouse and John Singer Sargent. She also admires the rich color and painterly brushwork of Richard Schmidt, Nancy Seamons Crookston and Rose Frantzen.
Along with her enjoyment of painting and drawing, Susan enjoys playing the piano, tin whistle and guitar. She says she inherited her love of art and music from her parents and playfully quips that raising her six children “made her the man she is today!”
Susan teaches adult art classes in her private studio located in the Sugar House district of Salt Lake City. She is a member of the Utah Watercolor Society (UWS) and Intermountain Society of Artists (ISA). She is a past president of the Intermountain Society of Artists.
