Susan Andreasen

Susan Andreasen
studied at the Parsons School of Design in New York City to develop her
talent in Fashion Design and Illustration where she had the privilege
of studying with Murray Tinkleman.

Susan began her career in fashion
illustration at Fairchild Publications as an illustrator, moving to the
Nadler & Larimer Advertising Agency as an Art Director on the
Bailey’s Irish Cream account. One of her important accomplishments in
this industry was featured in Ad Age Magazine. Her advertising strategy
focusing on a new product, in a new way, in the US market resulted in
sales of over $13.5 million in six months. Following a distinguished
career in advertising, Susan changed her professional direction to
painting portraits with a unique perspective incorporating humans and
endangered species. The paintings pose the question “who is endangered?”
– animals or humans, or perhaps, both.

Environmentalist and endangered species
advocate, Andreasen, has devoted her career to promoting green
consumerism and environmental awareness thorough her artwork. Based in
South Florida, Susan has been involved with ecologically motivated
artistry for over a decade. Her challenge is to save endangered
wildlife, and ultimately, preserve the environment. A portion of
Andreasen’s sales becomes a donation to an environmental or endangered
species related charity.

Susan’s commitment as an eco-artist
resulted from concerns about endangered species and the environment
after traveling over 9,987 miles on a boat for four and a half years
along the Coast of the United States. Searching for wildlife, she had to
travel twenty miles from shore to see whales, fish, birds and other
nautical wildlife in their natural environment. Closer to shore animals
fought man-made pollution and were essentially absent from view. Later,
in Africa, similar experiences with other mammals showed they were
clearly at risk because of poaching, habitat reduction, and other
human-made incursions into their natural environment.

Today Susan Andreasen is an eco-artist
creating paintings with animals that are endangered or extinct situated
in their environment. Her technique paints layers of oil to get the
vibrant colors of nature and animals that are threatened with
extinction. She is the first and only artist to combine human images,
sometimes a celebrity, with an endangered species using portraiture.
Since 2015, portraiture has become an increasingly important aspect of
her work, using oil on canvas or linen, as well as watercolor and
sculptures.

Melding traditional art and nature, Susan
teaches her methods to students in workshops and lectures at art
centers, on campus and in museums to demonstrate that the techniques and
ideas of contemporary art can be applied to the subject matter of
wildlife. Susan’s teaching has raised public awareness of the needs of
the environment and the reality of which animals are on the brink of
extinction.

“In the twenty-first century, I believe
humankind and art have become alienated from nature,” says Susan. “By
denying nature, we deny a part of ourselves and an appreciation of
nature, thus preventing us from realizing our full potential. By
illuminating the devastation of our environment I hope to recruit and
enliven future dedicated environmentalists to continue this noble
cause.”

Viewing all animals as art-worthy subjects,
and accepting wildlife and nature art as a contemporary art form has
become a very popular subject for art museums and the universal art
world. Susan has been playing a very exciting role raising awareness of
endangered species and humanity’s destruction of the environment through
her own commissioned artworks.