Susan Urschel

Face in Gold Woman from India Tranquility

Urschel, the woman, is private, traditional and reserved. Urschel the painter is strong, modernistic and an extremely thought provoking artist. Her paintings almost always focus on the face or the full human figure, and one has the sense that Urschel is informed by a reoccurring dream or thought that can only be understood through artistic expression.

For Urschel, born 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, “art represents a nonverbal, meaningful form of communication and expression”. With an Associates Degree in Child Development and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Child Psychology, Susan has experienced first hand the power of this nonverbal tool. Working with severely disturbed and autistic children, it was art - paint in particular - that lead Susan to a deeper understanding of the children, and ultimately a deeper understanding of herself as an artist and a person.

Urschel’s probing paintings are semi-abstract, symbolic works, often painted in an opaque watercolor called gouache, a favorite medium of Urschel’s used primarily during the three year period she spent studying with Leo Garel. Susan’s addition of oil bar was a gradual experiment over time and has now become her favorite combination.

Urschel’s powerful paintings reflect an interest in late 19^th Century European Symbolism, Georges Rouault’s stained glass windows and German Expressionism. She has studied with a number of renowned artists such as Leo Garel, Charles Garabedian, Norman F. Goodwin and Linda Jacobso. Susan’s last gallery show was in Stockbridge, Massachusetts at the Image Gallery. Private collections include Hellmut Wohl, Art Historian, Emeritus, Harvard University and William Gibson, author and playwright.