"If I didn't have a natural talent for painting, I would have become a veterinarian," said artist Susan Bankey Yoder. She has always had a deep love for all animals and is forever studying and learning from them. Her enjoyment of the outdoors, combined with a keen eye for detail produce dramatic renditions of wildlife in their natural surroundings. She has a commitment to conservation as well, by contributions and memberships to various wildlife programs and organizations. Susan, a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists, has received many awards and honors while diligently using her talent to build the foundations of her career. Her work as an illustrator was just the beginning of her career. With her passion for wildlife, it was natural for Susan to venture into creating her own work. Primarily a self-published artist, her artwork has been published in U.S. Art, Wildlife Art, Ruffed Grouse Society Magazine, Keystone Conservationist, Sporting Classics Magazine and Mid-Atlantic Fly Fisherman. Susan Bankey Yoder and friend Shiloh, a mountain lion cub at the Florida Wildlife Expo - - -> She is consisitenly a finalist in competitions. She has won the 2003 Indiana Trout Stamp, the PA Game Commission's Working Together For Wildlife conservation print competition for 2002, and the 2003 Pennsylvania Trout Stamp competition, and she took third place in the Pa Trout Stamp for 2002, along with four-second place finishes in trout stamp and conservation print competitions. Susan also has a series of trout prints that help to benefit Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited chapters. < - -"Here's a shot of me signing my winning painting "Homesteader" at the PA Game Commission Headquarters. The painting won the Game Commission's "Working Together for Wildlife" conservation print competition." Susan was the winner of the 2004 PA Trout Stamp. She had been trying for 8 years, and has always been among the finalists. The painting, titled "Quiet Time," depicts a fly-fisherman netting a trout on the Brandywine Creek. Click on the thumbnail for a larger view - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -> Painting , for Susan, is a very personal media. She enjoys the fieldwork that is so important, and the research of her subjects brings her great satisfaction. Gouache, an opaque watercolor and acrylic are her choices for primary medium. She decides which paint to use according to how it will best suit the subject, claiming a special feeling for the properties the paint will give her. Her ongoing study of paintings by other artists to learn and better understand the many varying aspects of their art and style is part of her continuing education. "Painting is an evolutionary process; I'm always growing and learning. It's very stimulating," she says. One of her most recent educational experiences came from a workshop with Carl Brenders in Montana, where her work was well recieved. "Workshops help fine tune painting skills". Fishing is one of the many ways she can do research, and the trout streams of Montana, Wyoming and Pennsylvania, her home state, are among her favorite places. "People are always surprised when I talk about fishing." She states, "I guess it's still a little unusual to hear about a woman that goes fishing." Susan keeps a sketchbook and a camera along with her fishing gear, for an opportunity that arises, transferring them to her saddlebags when horseback riding or hiking on the trail. Many of her paintings enhance both corporate and private collections. She has shown at prestigious shows such as the Southeastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, the Easton Waterfowl Festival and the Society of Animal Artists' "Art and the Animal" Exhibitions. Order Info & Brochures of her work are available upon request by contacting: Meadowland Studio 1131 Barkley Road, Atglen, PA 19310 610-593-6883 E-mail Address: SusanYoder@kennett.net Click on a button to tour Susan's Gallery