About me.

Paintings nature to inspire reconnecting with the natural world

As an artist and gardener, I experience the healing power of plants every time I dig in the garden or take a walk outdoors. My nature paintings champion human interaction with the natural world as an antidote to our angsty digital lives. Humans are hardwired to be in nature. My plant paintings serve as a reminder of the vital relationship between people, plants, and the planet.

As a research-based artist I look to neuroscience which confirms nature’s beneficial impact on our well-being from ordinary activities like a walk outdoors to simply looking at the colors found in nature. I create art to share my experience and reverence for nature and as a campaign to rekindle our lost connection with the natural world; explore the deep bond between man and nature, evident throughout art history from cave paintings to Renaissance altarpieces.

I work with oil on canvas and use other mediums like paper, fabric, or mylar. My contemporary nature paintings are typically 18”x 24”, though scale varies depending on the subject, as in an oversized dandelion that declares, ‘Look at my beauty.’

My compositions are a poetic interpretation of weeds, flowers, and landscapes, with a nod to awe. Nature’s fractal patterns are a through line. The style sits between figurative and abstraction. Color and line are applied with varying intensity, dictated by the subject.

Landscapes and gardening are central themes in my work. My landscapes capture the tranquility of natural settings, while my gardening-inspired pieces reflect the intricate beauty of plant life. These subjects are chosen not only for their visual appeal but also for their ability to evoke a sense of peace and connection to our planet.

I offer my work as a moment to pause and consider the healing power Mother Nature provides. Plants are integral to our well-being, our connection to planet Earth, and to each other.

Susan Malfa nature artist

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Profile:  Susan Malfa lives, paints and gardens in Brooklyn and Amagansett, New York.  She enjoyed a career in media sales management, has a B.A. in Art, Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Strategy.  She is a student of Horticulture Therapy, an advisory member for a CSA farm and tutors reading to lower school students at Read 718 non-profit.

Education:

2023, 24, 25 NYC Crit Club The Canopy Program, Catherine Haggerty; Advanced Painting, Judy Glantzman            

2021, ‘22,’23, ‘24       Victor D’Amico Institute of Art, Michael Rosch, Jennifer Cross

2020, 2021         NY Botanic Gardens, Horticulture Therapy

2020                 Selby Gardens Art, Deborah Ross,

2019                 Golden Eagle Art, Janet Jennings,

2017, 2016         Brooklyn Botanic Garden Art; YMCA 86th Street, Allison Maletz,

2012                 NYU, School of Professional Studies Graduate Certificate, Leadership and Strategy

1977                 Queens College, BA Art

Group Shows:

May 2025 Springs Improvement Society Group Show, East Hampton, NY

September 2024 The Barge at Ashawagh, East Hampton, NY

January 2024 Soft Edge, NYC Crit Club, Chelsea, NY

October 2023              Guild Hall Member Show, East Hampton, NY

September  2023        Superfine Art Fair with Chashama, New York, NY

September 2023         Back at Ashawagh, East Hampton, NY       

September 2023         SYNT x The Front Gallery, New York, NY

March 2023                  Pelican Cove 2023 Art Show, Sarasota, Florida

September 2022         Superfine Art Fair with Chashama, New York, NY

April 2022.                     The Elements, Juried Show, Brooklyn Waterfront Artist Coalition, Red Hook, NY

June 2021                      Neoteric Abstract IV, Juried Show, Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY

Fall 2020, Spring 2021  BWAC Group Member Show, Brooklyn, NY

July 2020, 2021             Clothesline Art Show, Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY

Spring 2020                   Art from the Inside, BWAC Virtual Show

January 2020                Visions of Nature, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NY

July 2000                       Art Barge Artists, Ashawagh Hall, East Hampton, NY

Artist Statement

I am a NY based artist and gardener.  The body of work I create is in a visual conversation about the beauty and awe in the natural world that surrounds us. The subtext is the health improvements for body and mind we experience when in nature, outdoors or caring for a houseplant. Plants in places on this planet Earth help us and visa versa.  In recognition of this vital relationship, as cultures around the world have always understood, we have to nurture and respect our natural surroundings.

My art is a dialogue about being with nature rather than above it, off our digital screens and into the reality of our natural world that will heal both people and the planet. My paintings are of plants, the places they exist, the beauty they offer and the role humans and plants play in our fragile ecosystem.

I paint on canvas, paper, mylar or panel primarily using oil paint but gouache, tempera, acrylics, pastels, pencils, plant pigments are in my tool box. I am fascinated by and include people’s hands in my work, our tools touching and impacting this planet.   Paintings are generally 16”x 20” in size. I scale the size of the work depending on the subject. For example, an oversized dandelion or thistle underscores the beauty of a weed, an essential plant for pollinators and our ecosystem.

My paintings are figurative and touch abstraction. Color, marks, lines are applied with varying speed. I work in thin paint layers and build the color depth. My compositions are a poetic take on weeds, flowers, and places.  Plants are integral to our well-being, our connection to planet Earth and each other.