Rhea Sutter is a local portrait artist who was born in New York City and raised on Long Island. After graduating with a BFA from Queens College, Rhea got her certificate in Art Therapy and worked with a COTA at two different nursing homes. She was a recreation director at St. Mary Home in West Hartford after moving to Connecticut in the 70’s. In the 80’s Rhea left work and became a fulltime mom but was involved in the arts with The Ellington Junior Women’s Club. Later when her children were in school, Rhea became a long term substitute teacher for the art teachers in South Windsor and surrounding towns in the 80’s and 90’s.

“After becoming a Docent at The New Britain Museum of Art in 2003; introducing children and adults to the great artists and artworks in that collection, I was inspired to try my hand at drawing and painting again. I started with classes and workshops at the museum and then in the local art associations where I tried out different mediums from pastels to oils, and finally watercolor at ACE.“ “As a child and in my teens I was always drawing people, so it was a natural for me to seek out work that would allow me to share my interest with others and it remains that way in my old age.” So it is no surprise that my focus these days is on portraiture, because I enjoy capturing a pet or a person’s expression and personality and portraying that on paper or canvas.”

“It turned out that I do have a talent as well as a love for painting portraits. After 4 years with Sandra Wakeen at her Atelier in Somers, I started entering juried shows and I have gotten awards for my commissioned portraits of pets, and children in several shows in this state. My first prize was a monochromatic pastel of a toddler. I received honorable mentions for my landscapes, but later, acrylic pet portraits got second place awards and my family portraits in oil were garnering more first place awards in local shows.” I continue to paint but traveling and now my three-year-old grandchild take me away from painting on a regular basis. I tend to devote more time in my studio during winter months and during heat waves.”