Susan Block holds a BFA from Syracuse University and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work is exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, reflecting both a bucolic upbringing and the influence of an artistic, eccentric family. Deeply affected by the events of 9/11, Block channels emotion and energy through bold, gestural surfaces that transcend subject matter. Working primarily from photographs she takes or discovers, she pursues a particular vitality in each composition. Through dripping, scraping, throwing, and layering paint—whether acrylic, paste, or oil—she builds dynamic, energized canvases that balance control and spontaneity. For Block, painting is an act of instinct and immersion, where the best work emerges when thought yields to pure expression.