Susan Mayfield West is an award-winning artist who is well known for her use of color and light in her pastel landscapes. After living on Sullivan’s Island for the past 4 years, she recently opened an island studio there; a move that has inspired a new body of work including images from her life on the island.
After graduating with honors in Fine Arts from the College of Charleston, she continued her studies with many prominent artists from around the country. West’s career has included solo and group exhibits in galleries such at the Wells Gallery in Charleston, SC, the Joyce Robins Gallery in Santa Fe, NM, The Red Piano Gallery in Hilton Head, SC, and The City Gallery in Greenville, NC. Her work is in many corporate and private collections.
Since West’s move to Sullivan’s Island, she has enthusiastically embarked on a new course in her career. This new chapter includes a continued exploration through paint and pastel of the elements that surround and define life on the coast. She feels a sense of purpose to record and depict the way of life that exists on these islands; a way of life that is disappearing at a furious pace. In addition to painting, West teaches ongoing art classes to children and adults in the community.
“My vision”, West says, “has evolved over the years and I find myself wanting to go to a deeper level with my art. Not only do I look for images to paint that embody the particular beauty of this landscape, but also I want to make a connection with the soul of the places that we pass by everyday and maybe take for granted.”
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