arts & culture
arrowcreek talent By Anna christopher ArrowCreek artist Susan Christopher is thrilled to have been accepted into Reno Fine Arts Collective, Reno’s new downtown art gallery opening in early 2022. “The gallery is able to accept large format contemporary paintings like mine and is extending possibilities for local artists to get noticed at an international level with the Reno-Tahoe International Art Show in September. (www.reiashow.com). It’s a very exciting time to be a part of the Collective and Reno’s art community.” Susan’s dedication to her craft is shown by the prolific amount of work she has created. In the last two years, she has produced more than 30 pieces. Her portfolio includes portraits, landscapes, and abstract art. She says, “We don’t eat the same thing every day, why should I paint the same thing. Different topics and presentations keep me challenged.”
Susan has faced challenges since the beginning of her art journey. Unlike most artists, Susan is almost legally blind without the assistance of ocular prosthetic devices like contact lenses and “coke bottle glasses.” Despite her vision impairment, a set of Venus colored pencils that she received at 7 years of age for Christmas inspired her to draw. Drawing led to painting, and at 16, Susan sold her first piece, “The Chef,” to the local Best Western Hotel. Though her parents were not excited about her becoming an artist and her eyesight was a chronic challenge, Susan was relentless in following her ambition and passion. She went to Northern Illinois University to study under many Art Institute professors and then the University of Iowa, where she worked on her master’s degree in photography. Susan and her husband, Alex, moved from the Chicago suburbs in 2010 to ArrowCreek for its gorgeous and inspiring
panoramic views, access to outdoor activities, and the strong community clubs, including the ArrowCreek Art Guild, which Susan helped create. However, her vision problems worsened and caused frustration, anger, and depression in Susan’s artistic life. “There were days I wanted to just give up. My nose would be a few inches from the canvas, and I would be using a magnifying glass to perfect the lines. Eye strain and headaches persisted.” In 2012, new lens implant technology changed Susan’s trajectory. “For me, it was a miracle. Waking the morning after surgery, I cried when I could read the alarm clock unaided. I could see the trees
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