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Susan Picking Harper (born Susan Gail Picking; March 21, 1955) is an American artist based in Los Angeles, California whose work consists of abstract paintings. She is also a teaching artist at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, and an art teacher in the area of Ecocentric Art.

Life
Susan Picking Harper grew up in Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego County, California with her grandfather Archibald Picking. He was a highly skilled gem-quality diamond-cutter called a Diamantaire who was responsible for cutting, polishing and transforming a rough diamond into a finished gemstone ready for setting. .. This had an influential effect upon Susan's artwork.

Susan received a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from the Roski School of Fine Art at University of Southern California in 1977. She is also an alumni of ArtCenter College of Design, Class of '79 in Advertising and Illustration. She studied under the mentorship of Lyrical Abstractionist Paul Jenkins (painter) at the American University of Paris, France.

Works
Susan developed an expansive study of gemstones and their physical properties: shape, facets, brilliance, luster, refraction, and color. By method of bricolage and assemblage, she explores reclaimed materials and found objects to construct a Combine Painting out of "graphic posters, upholstery fabric, canvases, tablecloths, wall lath, and metal scrap". She paints the light as it passes through gemstones employing classical still life techniques, yet their characteristics give way to an abstract style of painting. The mixed media paintings are attributed to Ecocentric Art.

The shape and title of each gemstone painting shows the wide range in diamond-cutting techniques. Each painting specifies the stone type, it’s original name, and the type of cut carve on the stone. The collection of paintings, Gods of Fire, are exhibited in contemporary art galleries throughout the West Coast.[4] including Torrance Art Museum, Bergamot Station, Gallery 825, and South Bay Contemporary Gallery. She is currently a member of the Los Angeles Art Association, as well as a Board of Director for the Westwood Branch Public Library.

Notable exhibitions

 * ‘Wadjet’ Diamond; Acrylic on canvas salvage, 30 x 24 inches was exhibited at the Neutra Institute Museum for the 100 Artists Exhibition on October 4, 2018.
 * ‘Ra’ Ruby on Landscape; Oil and acrylic on canvas 16 x 16 inches was shown at the Torrance Art Museum.
 * ‘Amaterasu’ Cushion-cut Diamond; Acrylic on bandana, 59 x 59 inches was exhibited at Imagine: Platt Borstein Gallery.

Publications

 * 101 Contemporary Artists, Artvoices Art Books, edited by Terrence Sanders
 * Los Angeles Art Association Book Volume 2