Blessed with a gifted mother, I grew up with art being a big part of our lives. My mother was a natural-born illustrator and self-taught.  She was very prolific, and we have many of her wonderful paintings, including many of her collectors.

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When I was in kindergarten the large paper pads, easels, and pots of paint were nirvana to me.   I remember teachers looking at my pictures in the hallway and remarking about them.

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Not wanting to teach, just draw, I decided on The Institute of Pittsburgh and commercial art. That led to fashion layout and illustration for newspapers for a few years. Then, my mother suggested I try portraits, saying that I was good at them. So, I went to the art store and bought five pastels, a charcoal pencil, and a sketchpad.  That was the beginning of a wonderful career; doing hundreds of different types of commissions (and getting a lot more art materials)!

I've been a resident artist at Peek n' Peak Resort in Findley Lake, New York since the early 70s, where I work from sittings and photographs.  I also sketched many portraits at  Chautauqua Institution.  Collectors of my portraits are located throughout the U.S. and many other parts of the world.

I was working on a portrait of Elvis Presley in his Hawaii outfit, when I discovered the great effects that can be achieved with oils.  A few months later, I painted a 6 1/2 ' lifesize oil painting of Elvis at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, at a huge convention held by Colonel Parker.

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More recently, portraits of Lucille Ball led to very well-known clients,  her daughter Lucie Arnaz Luckenbill, and Melody Thomas Scott, Nikki on The Young and the Restless.

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Love of drawing and painting horses, all breeds, eventually led to the race track circuit. I was invited to exhibit and sell my paintings at the New Jersey Meadowlands Racetrack during Hambletonian Week. I then returned for twelve years.

I've painted over fifty large oils of world-champion racehorses, portraits of leading drivers, and owners. A large oil painting of the Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner, with a favorite horse, was commissioned by the Steinbrenner-Day Stable. 

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There are many portraits that were signed Susan Reyda from 1966 to 1976, which I painted and sketched in Fargo, North Dakota, Wellsville, N.Y., and in Sherman, N.Y. 

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