About Susan Doster

Susan CV

Susan Doster is a classically trained, representational, figurative artist who paints, draws, and sculpts the figure and portraits, of people and of animals, as well as painting landscapes. Currently, when painting, she prefers to work in either oil or egg tempera.

Susan's desire for intensifying her artistic training led her to the New York Academy of Art, in 1987. She was in their first graduating class for Master of Fine Arts, in 1990, majoring in painting and sculpting, from the Graduate School of Figurative Art. After graduate school, Susan continued living and working as an artist in NYC for an additional 15 years. Throughout the 1990's, she furthered her artistic training by making carefully painted copies while standing in front of many of her favorite artists' works in museums, including the Met, The Legion of Honor in San Francisco, and at the National Gallery of Art in DC.

Indiana is where Susan now resides and continues to create art. She teaches art lessons in regular classes and through workshops. Susan feels grateful for what she has learned through 30 years as a professional representational, figurative artist, and is glad to share it with others.

Susan enjoys creating commissions, including portraits of people, animals, and historical works. She can create paintings which reference family histories, through portraits, imagined and elaborated from descendants references.

Susan's work has won multiple awards and she continues to exhibit her work at every opportunity.

  • Wabash Valley Art Society, Lafayette, IN, Members juried exhibition, Second prize, 2019
  • IU East 40th Annual Whitewater Valley Art Competition, Richmond, IN, 2018
  • State of the Art: Art of the State, Prairie Arts Council, Rensselaer, IN, Juried show, 2018
  • Plein Air Paint Out, Waynesville, OH, Juried second prize, 2018
  • Art from the Heartland, Indianapolis, IN, Juried exhibition, 2018
  • Indiana State Fair Professional Competition, Indianapolis, IN, Honorable mentions in painting, pastel, and drawing, 2017
  • Hoosier Salon, Indiana State Museum, Juried exhibition, 2017
  • Wabash Valley Art Society, Lafayette, IN, Members juried exhibition, Grand prize, 2016
  • Indiana State Fair Professional Competition, Indianapolis, IN, 1st place in drawing, honorable mentions in painting, pastel, and drawing, 2016
  • Indiana Now 2016: The Bicentennial, Juried exhibition, 2016
  • Pop Goes Purdue! Juried exhibition, 2016
  • 5th Annual Plein Air Salon Competition, by Plein Air Magazine, Online monthly juried show, 2016
  • Wabash Valley Art Society, Lafayette, IN, Members juried exhibition, 2015
  • Indiana State Fair Professional Competition, Indianapolis, IN, 2nd place in drawing, honorable mentions in painting, pastel, and drawing, 2015
  • Indiana State Fair Professional Competition, Indianapolis, IN, 1st place in sculpture, 2nd place in drawing, 2013
  • Athens of Indiana Arts Celebration, Crawfordsville, IN, Plein air competition, Main Street award, 2011
  • Alumni Exhibition, NY Academy of Art, Juried exhibition, 2010
  • Art on the Wabash, West Lafayette, IN, Juried arts festival, 2006-7-8
  • Warren County Festival of the Arts, Juried arts festival, 2006
  • All that Jazz, Canal Frame-Crafts Gallery, Washington Crossing, PA, Juried exhibition, 2006
  • Ohio Plein Air Society, Columbus, OH, Juried landscape exhibition, 2006
  • Coryell Gallery, Lambertville, NJ, Juried landscape group exhibition, 2004, 2006