Susan Prentiss

Susan Prentiss’ portrait drawings are spontaneous translations of the live model in pencil and charcoal. She finds the model to be a dynamic collaborator who imbues vitality to her work.

Working on paper, Susan interprets her subjects through sharp lines and blended tones inspired by John Singer Sargent. Her drawings from life are finished in less than two hours to give the works a sense of spontaneity.

Susan also initiates portraits from photographs taken during sessions with the model. Her delicate renderings are coaxed into being through the sensitive application of graphite to intimate the immaterial aspect of the human form. These works completed over a longer duration evoke grace and timelessness she admires in the work of Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael Sanzio.

Susan received her B.A. in German Language and Literature from Dartmouth College and a Graphic Design Certificate from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She lives in Boston and cherishes the artistic community in Patrick Carter’s Portrait Painting and Drawing course at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts.