Susan Schmidt is an award-winning Australian artist, known for her contemporary figurative paintings featuring vibrant colours and experimental elements. Motivated by a deep environmental ethos, Schmidt’s landscape art is generally set at the beach and is populated by vivid houses and lush greenery.
Susan Schmidt: An Artistic Journey Inspired by Nature
The artist trained at the renowned School of Art and Craft in Adelaide and worked as an illustrator and designer before turning her focus to painting. It was during her training that she developed her technical proficiency in figurative art.
Schmidt’s interest in beach landscape art derives from her Australian background. The artist’s 'Seaburbia' series explores the cultural memory and heritage of the Australian beach house. These nostalgic pieces document the essence of coastal living that is increasingly under threat from modern development.
An enthusiast for printmaking, Susan Schmidt’s prints such as Love Towel (2017), evoke scenes of serenity and warmth. Her skilful use of light and shadow draws the viewer into moments of tranquillity, while the meticulous rendering of architectural textures reflects her unique combination of experimental creativity and technical precision.
A Distinctive Style: Between Figurative and Textured Abstraction
Susan Schmidt’s paintings combine acrylic and oil, showcasing a mastery of her mixed-media technique through intricate patterns, delicate layering, and rubbed-back surfaces.
Her process produces weathered textures that evoke the gradual erosion of materials over time, mirroring the effects of wind and sea on coastal architecture. These weathered surfaces serve as visual metaphors for resilience and the passage of time, enhancing the connection between nature and human life. The textured elements give Susan Schmidt’s paintings a tactile quality, imbuing them with depth and personality.
International Recognition and Acclaimed Exhibitions
Working from her Noosa Heads studio, Susan Schmidt’s beach paintings are internationally acclaimed. Her artworks have been selected for prominent exhibitions and are collected by art enthusiasts worldwide, testifying to their broad and lasting appeal.
She has participated in both solo and group shows across major cultural hubs such as London, New York, California, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and Singapore. Her art resonates globally, reflecting universal environmental themes and the beauty of coastal landscapes. Schmidt’s talent has also earned her prestigious opportunities. By invitation, she was selected as the resident artist at the exclusive One & Only Reethi Rah resort in the Maldives. This recognition solidifies her position as a prominent figure in contemporary art, admired for her ability to combine technical mastery with environmental storytelling.
