Suzy Almblade Townsend
Passionate about art her whole life, Suzy Almblade Townsend always knew she would be an artist.
The big question was: What Medium? She tried everything—illustration grabbed her attention, and oils became her college obsession. But oils came with a catch: the toxic fumes left her wiped out for days. She needed something different, something that wouldn't sideline her. Then came a trip to Italy in 2010, and watercolor changed everything. Transparent, unpredictable, and utterly captivating.
"Maybe it was the Italian pizza," Suzy often says. "But I've been hooked ever since! There is this surprise you just can't get with paints you can control (such as oil & acrylic) and that's what that I love."
Often cited as the most difficult of painting mediums by beginner and professional painters alike, Suzy enjoys the challenge watercolor gives her. "It's like a cat, you can coax it but you can't control it. The water is your partner in the painting process. It's a collaboration in a sense." Painting full time since 2018, and teaching watercolor at the college level since 2021, Suzy found her style creating delightful compositions inspired by her home state of Arizona that evoke wonder and "connections we make through the stories we tell."
Watercolors with no glass?
Yes! Traditionally that is how they are displayed. Glass protects against UV damage. Now, in the past twenty years, there are new and exciting ways to display watercolor without worry of UV damage and yellowing. Suzy has spent the last six years perfecting this new method where she adheres her work to boards, seals against water damage, and finally UV protects it. "It's a lengthy process but worth being able to see the art without the barrier of glare and the weight of glass."
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