Meet Susan Cole

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Susan Cole. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Susan below.

Susan , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I was born loving color, art and painting, but i had absolutely zero self confidence in this arena. Having won several art competitions as a child, I continued the negative feelings for myself. When my girls left for college, I took a couple of my paintings to a local framing shop. They asked if they could sell my work! Really?? Overwhelmed with joy, I obsessively painted and the frame shop sold a crazy number of frames for my work. I thought “this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life”.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My whole life has been and is about “making things pretty” A box of crayons, has always been “gold” for me. Sixteen years ago, I began painting profusely in watercolor I had no idea watercolor could be so vivid and correctly done using a series of washes. I started designing notecards and they are sold in several boutiques today. My paintings have expanded into oil and acrylics. The subject matter dictates the medium for me as an artist. I never have a painter’s block. I could never have enough canvases to depict our miraculous world in vivid color. For me, painting has been my therapy. Painting takes my soul into a happy and peaceful place. When I am painting, I am not aware of the time or place. The rest of my life will be a huge adventure of painting, traveling, discovering and sharing color and art. I truly believe art is everything and everything is art.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Pursue your passion is my message. My passion is painting. Truly, I cannot live without the brush and canvas. It is all about actually doing it! Going to meetings is not going to make you a better artist. Reading and studying techniques is a tremendous help, but then “do it”. See for yourself how colors blend and come alive on a canvas! Feel the air through a bird’s flight on paper. The adventure is waiting for you! My adventure is just beginning. I cannot wait for each day to see what I can create.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My mother passed away several years ago, but she lives in my heart. She is with me in this journey. Our walks, park time, bird watching, etc have made me into who I am today. When you are an artist, it takes someone to truly understand you and give you time to study and appreciate that which so many cannot see in this world. I am grateful for the support.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Graciouslady
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/susanthieleartwork
• Other: I need a website! Lol