About me.
Creating nature paintings to inspire reconnecting with the natural world
As an artist and gardener, I experience the healing power of plants every time I dig in the garden or take a walk outdoors. My nature paintings champion human interaction with the natural world as an antidote to our angsty digital lives. Humans are hardwired to be in nature. My plant paintings serve as a reminder of the vital relationship between people, plants, and the planet.
Neuroscience confirms nature’s beneficial impact on our well-being, from ordinary activities like a walk outdoors to simply looking at the colors found in nature. I create art as a campaign to rekindle our lost connection with the natural world and explore the deep bond between man and nature, evident throughout art history from cave paintings to Renaissance altarpieces.
I work with oil on canvas and use other mediums like paper, fabric, or mylar. My contemporary nature paintings are typically 18”x 24”, though scale varies depending on the subject, as in an oversized dandelion that declares, ‘Look at my beauty.’
My compositions are a poetic interpretation of weeds, flowers, and landscapes, with a nod to awe. Nature’s fractal patterns are a through line. The style sits between figurative and abstraction. Color and line are applied with varying intensity, dictated by the subject.
Landscapes and gardening are central themes in my work. My oil on canvas landscapes capture the tranquility of natural settings, while my gardening-inspired pieces reflect the intricate beauty of plant life. These subjects are chosen not only for their visual appeal but also for their ability to evoke a sense of peace and connection to the Earth.
I offer my work as a moment to pause and consider the healing power Mother Nature provides. Plants are integral to our well-being, our connection to planet Earth, and to each other.
C.V.
Profile: Susan Malfa lives, paints and gardens in Brooklyn and Amagansett, New York. She enjoyed a career in media sales management, has a B.A. in Art, Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Strategy. She is a student of Horticulture Therapy, an advisory member for a CSA farm and tutors reading to lower school students at Read 718 non-profit.
Education:
2023, 2024 NYC Crit Club The Canopy Program, Catherine Haggerty; Advanced Painting, Judy Glantzman
2021, ‘22,’23, ‘24 Victor D’Amico Institute of Art, Michael Rosch, Jennifer Cross
2020, 2021 NY Botanic Gardens, Horticulture Therapy
2020 Selby Gardens Art, Deborah Ross,
2019 Golden Eagle Art, Janet Jennings,
2017, 2016 Brooklyn Botanic Garden Art; YMCA 86th Street, Allison Maletz,
2012 NYU, School of Professional Studies Graduate Certificate, Leadership and Strategy
1977 Queens College, BA Art
Group Shows:
September 2024. The Barge at Ashawagh, East Hampton, NY
January 2024 Soft Edge, NYC Crit Club, Chelsea, NY
October 2023 Guild Hall Member Show, East Hampton, NY
September 2023 Superfine Art Fair with Chashama, New York, NY
September 2023 Back at Ashawagh, East Hampton, NY
September 2023 SYNT x The Front Gallery, New York, NY
March 2023 Pelican Cove 2023 Art Show, Sarasota, Florida
September 2022 Superfine Art Fair with Chashama, New York, NY
April 2022. The Elements, Juried Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition, Red Hook, NY
June 2021 Neoteric Abstract IV, Juried Show, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY
Fall 2020, Spring 2021 BWAC Group Member Show, Brooklyn, NY
July 2020, 2021 Clothesline Art Show, Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY
Spring 2020 Art from the Inside, BWAC Virtual Show
January 2020 Visions of Nature, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NY
July 2000 Art Barge Artists, Ashawagh Hall, East Hampton, NY