Susan Graber grew up in Connecticut, met her husband at George Washington University, in DC, and almost immediately moved to Beaufort, South Carolina. She taught math in a rural junior high, then spent two decades working as a real estate paralegal in her husband's office.

In the early 1990's she left her job to devote herself full-time to painting.

Studies began with an evening class at the Gibbes Museum, Charleston, SC, then several classes at the Savannah College of Art and Design, GA, and various local and national workshops.

Graber began painting portraits in the 1990's.  Since then she has completed over a hundred commissions, including portraits of doctors, judges and military officers.

Graber works from her Shed, a storage-shed-turned-studio next to her home in Port Royal, SC, and in her loft at the Eclipse Mill in North Adams, MA.

 “In deep tones of red, green, blue, and the most complex of whites, the artist establishes a superior affective power as she creates these radiant portraits and figures. We respond to her intense visual investigation of the human form.”  

- Nancy K. Wellard, The Island Packet

“Graber’s work has a powerful physical presence....she achieves her goals through a confident, painterly assertiveness.”

- Keith V. Shaw, The Berkshire Eagle

“I thought your portrait of 'Woman in White Silk Blouse' was outstanding, powerful, focused, and skillfully composed. I also like the placement and simple bold colors created by the setting which served to move the eyes to the face. Many congratulations and continued success to Susan Graber.”

- John E. Littlewood

“Up close we note that carefully applied patches of color establish facial planes, anatomical references and create specific characteristics about the figure, giving it substance, energy, and mass. With the artist, our eyes blend the patches into integrated figurative compositions of impressive power.”

- Nancy K. Wellard, The Island Packet