Since moving to Sedona, Arizona in 2006 she has produced a series of multi-media inspirational exhibits with paintings, poems and music. Her first volume of paintings and poems, "The Poetry of Place" (2009)  is a rare expression of the inner world of the outer landscape.

 A cloud-shrouded mountain expresses strength and endurance in the face of adversity. A winding path encourages us to trust the ever-changing mysteries of life's unknowns. And the vast divides of the Grand Canyon humbles us to life's constant reminders that, in time, all forms dissolve and return to something more elemental and transcendent.

Pitcairn's poetry and artistic symbols frequently emphasize the universal and transcendent. A lifelong student of spiritual philosophies and practice, she believes that the expression of that underlying spirit is the true aim of all the arts, whether we realize it or not. 

She writes eloquently about three core principles of art with parallels in music, architectural, performing arts, science, society, economics and virtually every aspect of inner and outer life. To download a 30 page PDF of  "Awaken To Beauty: Principles of Art and of Creation," click here.  For a 8.5 x 11 chart that summarizes these principles and techniques of art and life, click here.

Born in DuQuoin, Illinois to descendents of early American settlers, Susan moved with her family to Arizona at age 8. There she fell in love with the rugged beauty of the Southwest and began painting it from monthly issues of "Arizona Highways." She majored in art at the University of Arizona (1967-9), later earning a masters in social psychology.

Susan Pitcairn, 1982

Pitcairn studied art primarily with Tom Allen at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California (1980-82), who emphasized the works of the French Impressionists, as well as the well-known pastelist Kitty Wallis, who later went on to develop a top-of-the-line special paper for pastels. During this period Susan created one of her most popular images, "Of Heaven and Earth," available in prints and full size giclees:

(Works from this 1970- 1983 periods have been re-selling in recent years for five or six times their original value.)

In 1981 she and her husband Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD co-authored the classic "Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats." with sales of over half a million copies to date (2010).  This led to years of teamwork as the couple appeared on the Merv Griffin Show and Richard began teaching his pioneering work in the field. They moved to Eugene, Oregon, opened the Animal Natural Health Center, also began a period with years of travels, offering  Richard's successful and unique seminars and courses on homeopathy to veterinarians. During this time they were based in Eugene, Oregon, where they ran the Animal Natural Health Center (AHNC).

In Sedona Susan found fertile ground for art. There she studied and worked with top plein air painters John Cogan, Marcia Burtt, Clive Pates, Cody DeLong, Clark Mitchell and others.

Beginning in 2007, Susan entered several exhibitions and immediately received a number of awards, including First Place in Professional Painting at the annual Sedona Arts Center juried shows of both 2007 and 2008. She placed in the Top 200 nationally in the 2007 and 2008 Paint the Parks Competitions. 

From 2007 to 2010 she produced numerous exhibits combining paintings and poems, joined the faculty of the Sedona Arts Center, taught private plein air workshops both solo and with Cody DeLong, and was invited to participate in the prestigious  Sedona Plein Air Festival. 

Susan's recent works are in collections from Italy to New Zealand and her earlier teenage and California works are re-surfacing here and there, with resale values many times their original cost.