Susan Harris Tyler began drawing her friends in pencil and illustrating pictures out of encyclopedias for school reports when she was 12 years old. “I’m thankful that God gave me the talent and ability to draw people, animals, landscapes, and still life images accurately. I’ve always been able to capture the likeness of a person or an animal and I strive to capture something of what is going on within a person’s soul.”

Susan, being in a military family, lived in Spain for 3 years as a youth and was able to go to museums where she was inspired, “Seeing paintings done by some of the Old Masters had a real influence on me.”

Susan worked as an RN for 37 years and continued to use her artistic talent during that time. “I progressed from drawing in pencil to charcoal and then to pastel.” She studied art instruction books and videos to help develop her talent and for several years was a member of the Southern Artist League in Valdosta. Around 1990, she began taking in commission requests from people for charcoal and pastel portraits and since 1995 she has been a local portrait artist at the Hahira Honey Bee Festival.

Susan has also been a submitting artist in Spring Into Art over the years and has sold some of her oil paintings there. Her painting entitled, “Nature’s Parade” was chosen to be in the 2019 Colson Calendar.

From 2014-2017 Susan took oil painting classes under Fay Bridges Hyatt. “During that time and still to present I have continued to study independently to learn the advanced techniques of charcoal, pastel, and oil mediums. I have just completed 4 years of intense study and practice in oil portraiture under 3 different Portrait Artists.”

Susan started her Business, Uniquely Yours Portraits and Art by Susan Harris Tyler in 2018, where she works out of her in home studio painting art commissions in charcoal, oil, and pastel. She enjoys capturing the spirit of each individual client and works from photos that are provided or she can take professional photos in her Studio.

“I believe that God gives to us individual talents of some kind. It is our job to develop and use our talents to the best of our abilities. I’m thankful that He has given to me this visual artistic talent. My goal is to bring a sense of beauty, harmony, joy, love, purpose, and the uniqueness of my subject to my paintings and portraits…which will hopefully bless the viewer.”