Susan Hartenhoff

Susan, a self-described Midwesterner, was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Her interest in art developed at an early age with influence and support from her family and her father, a plein aire painter now living in California. She spent her childhood pondering the vast landscape that surrounded her. Her love of art is matched only by her passion for horses. She remembers learning about great artists as a young child. One of her most poignant early memories is of a piece called “The Horse Fair" by Rosa Bonheur, that hung in her elementary school's hallway. It is this subject that first brought attention to her own paintings and drawings. Her love of horses was encouraged by her aunt, who helped her purchase her first horse and taught her horsemanship.