Hello, I’m Susan Brown. Welcome to my Studio!

I am a colorist who blends reality and imagination; not an exact realist. 

I’m known for my paintings of Santa Cruz County, but I don’t paint coastal or beach scenes because I feel they are over represented. My work brings new life to subjects often thought of as mundane, such as “just a street.”

Instead of typical representations of California, I choose to celebrate little known aspects of well known places, such as a small town historic B & B that is 100 years old, and places that are rarely, if ever, seen in paintings, such as a valley only seen briefly while driving by on a California highway. I’ve painted it in various styles as it is so intriguing to me, with the “now you see it, now you don’t” observation.

In my street scenes and similar “Location” series of paintings I have found a love of solving geometry to create a sense of place, mood, and emotion; emphasizing light, shadows and time of day.

Due to the architecture, aerial perspective and inclusion of portraits and figures, my “Roadways” and “Today’s World” series are especially complex and challenging, some of which involve viewers in scenes of effects of the pandemic. I’ve been told that viewers enjoy the depth and details in these complex paintings, and get more out of them each time they are seen.

My “Location” series’ evokes a sense of recognition, nostalgia, or deja vu, whether or not someone has actually been to these places. Instead of giving all the answers, my paintings engage the viewer to ask themselves questions, such as where a road may lead—where might they choose to go in their lives? 

Please visit me my studio–virtually at www.susanbrownfineart.com and in my real location in Santa Cruz, CA (by appointment) through email; [email protected]

I look forward to hearing from you!