Visit Oro Valley Library in February 2023 to see the exhibit of Tucson artist Susan Ritz.
My Life in Black and White: Artist Biography of Sue Ritz
Sue did not find her artist’s voice in college, she didn’t study art, she studied Metallurgical Engineering. No, Sue found her voice in an unlikely place, in Kuwait, while deployed with the Nevada Army National Guard in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2005, Sue found herself stationed in Doha Kuwait supervising guard shifts for redeploying soldiers. Entering and leaving the compound, all soldiers went past the gate guards and their partners, Belgian Malinois, trained to detect bombs. She contacted their commander and got permission to take photos and tour the kennels. In her spare time, at night in her small room, Sue began painting dogs.
Prior to this, she had produced a few paintings, landscapes, and horses. It was fun but it didn’t stick. But the bomb dogs were different. Something about them didn’t go away. From there Sue began painting dogs in watercolor, mostly her own pets. But friends and colleagues were gifted with portraits, some of these not great by any standard. Still, she kept at it.
In 2006 Sue moved to Tucson. Here she found Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild. Through classes and workshops, she began to improve. And one subject kept being painted, over and over again. A border-collie mix named Monty. My life in black and white reflects this obsession with the now 15-year-old dog. This exhibit explores the progression of the artist through the aging of her most beloved pet. Early works are less intense and detailed. Later, Monty’s expressions become more focused and intense, his intelligence and nearly human ability to communicate his needs stare out at you. Something any border collie owner will understand.
She works primarily in watercolor but other water media, including acrylic and gouache, are part of her materials menu. Sue loves to experiment with different surfaces and materials, including watercolor on Yupo, a plastic surface, canvas, and watercolor crayons and pencils.
Sue has exhibited her work at the SAWG gallery in Tucson and Tubac Center of the Arts, and in galleries from
Philadelphia to Los Angeles.
Susan K. Ritz – MSG Retired U.S. Army National Guard
