Susan harrell

Finding art to bring a sense of joy to her life in central North Carolina, photorealist Susan Harrell aspires to uplift her viewers, showcasing the beauty and strength found in the fabric of everyday life. Her major focus is still life, but a diversity of genres and subject matter can be found in her work. Harrell is a self-taught artist who began by replicating the works of Renaissance masters, eventually transitioning to her own original works in 2009.

Her style incorporates supersaturated colors, high contrast, and the focus on detail characteristic of contemporary photorealism. Dramatic lighting is often a key element and Harrell enjoys making use of surfaces with reflective qualities such as glass, water, and chrome. She strives to not only bring objects to life in her paintings, but to relate the subject matter to something personal through subtle metaphor. Often the titles of her work contain a play on words to describe the connection between her subjects and the concept that gives them significance to the artist.