Susan Kuznitsky is an accomplished, award-winning artist and a gifted teacher, comfortable working and teaching in oil, pastel and various drawing media. Her representational style is arresting, perceptive and dramatic without being staged. After studying at American Academy of Art in Chicago, her hometown, Susan moved to Woodstock, New York, where she became the studio assistant for Master Artist Albert Handell. For the next two years Mr. Handell not only taught her about pastels and oils, but also how to teach. Moving back to Chicago in the mid 1980’s Susan began painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art with another living Master Painter, Richard Schmid. In the early 1990’s Susan married and moved to the Pacific Northwest where she raised her family. She has and continues to paint and teach locally and nationally. Her Zoom classes have become very popular.

“I was lucky that my mother noticed my interest in art way back in high school and signed me up at a local art studio in the north suburbs of Chicago where I grew up. The owner and teacher was the late Joe Abbrecia. It was a traditional art education, working from plaster casts in charcoal and moving on to oils and watercolors. He guided me to continue my education at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Fresh out of art school I worked as a freelance portrait artist for a well-known Chicago chain of department stores. I didn’t know it then but for the next 4 years I got the best on the job training one could get drawing 25-minute portraits. All ages, all types! During my time at art school I had the advantage of access to the Art Institute. I was always drawn to the impressionist pastel paintings. There was really no one teaching pastels at this time in the area, so I made the journey to Woodstock, NY to study with master pastellist Albert Handell. I became his studio assistant for the next 2 years. Mr. Handell not only opened the world of pastels to me, but world have me follow him from easel to easel during the workshops to listen to students’ questions. Watching his ‘hands on’ approach to teaching continues to influence my teaching today. Back in Chicago I opened my own studio and began teaching locally and nationally. During this time, I began painting at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art with another master painter, Richard Schmid. In the early 1990’s I moved to my current home in Portland, Oregon where I continue to teach locally. The following years as a wife and mother continued to fuel my passion to paint and teach. With children grown I am back to full time art, painting, travelling, and sharing what I have learned from the amazing teachers I have been honored to learn from.” – Susan Kuznitsky