about Susan E. French

Celebrating Versatility

Internationally recognized artist Susan E. French was raised in Boulder, Colorado where she gained a deep appreciation of the great outdoors, art and business. Her father was an entrepreneur, and her mother was a potter - combining to gift Susan with unique left and right brain balance. Susan received her formal Fine Arts education at the University of Northern Colorado. She shifted gears and became a helicopter power turbine engine mechanic and ultimately an instructor of power turbine engine theory and repair at the United States Trades Training Center in Virginia. Even when Susan's profession was aviation, art was also a focus. She studied art and painted during years of national and international travel. Susan finally settled in Tucson, where she has now resided with her family for over fifteen years.

In 1999, Susan graduated as valedictorian of her business degree program at the University of Phoenix (UOP), and was voted "Outstanding Student" by her peers and instructors. Susan was selected to address the commencement ceremony, where she spoke to the attending graduates and thousands of their collective friends and family members of Goal Setting, Choice, and Happiness. Susan returned to school in October of 2005, and in early 2007 graduated with a 4.0 grade point average (GPA) again from the UOP, with a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) degree.

Susan teaches group and private art lessons in her downtown studio at The Splinter Brothers' and Sisters' Warehouse Studios and offers a variety of classes and workshops in Tucson, Green Valley and Tubac, Arizona.

One-On-One Partners, a non-profit organization designed to support and assist at-risk youth, sponsors Arizona's first Art Mentoring program, in which Susan is credited with being in one of the first art partnerships.

Susan is the sole-proprietor of her business, French Accent Original Art & Design, which was established in 1997. French Accent provides both custom fine art and graphic design. Susan E. French's original graphic work includes package and T-shirt design, logos, menu covers, wine labels, compact disc covers, brochures and more. She makes beautiful custom jewelry and offers small business consulting, as well, but her main focus is fine art - painting and drawing. Since early 1998, Susan has maintained a gallery exhibiting graphite studies as well as oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings, forming her Sonoran Desert Flora and Fauna Collection at Canyon Ranch Health and Fitness Resort, in Tucson, Arizona. Her work can also be seen at many locations around Tucson, including the City of Tucson Mayor's office and several restaurants and gift shops. Susan has many original pieces of artwork displayed in Canada, England, Germany, Israel, and Australia. Across the United States, Susan has hundreds of drawings and paintings hanging coast to coast - in 38 states - with over 70 pieces throughout California, hundreds in the East Coast including over 60 in Manhattan, New York alone - Park Place, Madison Ave, 5th Ave, etc.

In addition to creating custom artwork and maintaining her Canyon Ranch gallery, Susan is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Tucson Musicians Museum (TMM). TMM operates as a non-profit organization developed to recognize and commemorate area musicians who have so richly contributed to Tucson's musical culture.

A recreational hiker and runner, Susan enjoys living in beautiful, sunny Arizona where the weather rarely provides an excuse for inactivity.

If you get the opportunity to come to sunny Tucson and have a bit of free time, feel free to call or email Susan to set an appointment to visit her studio (520) 907-7325 or .