Kim Shuessler - Flowers, Figures, and Fun!

Behind the Back Bouquet

Acrylic and Mixed Media on Canvas

48"H x 36"W

Kim Schuessler is better recognized as being the queen of all things color and whimsy. With her southern roots anchoring her work, she seamlessly combines fashion and figures in the most charming and mystic way. 

Born in Georgia, Kim Schuessler started her art career at a young age. Being raised in a classic southern culture but also having intrigue in different cultures and lifestyles, her work has taken her all around the globe, as well as having been influenced by everything she has learned in her travels. Her work, truly, is like none other. Her faceless figures are oftentimes dressed in full glam, with heels and hair braids always making an appearance. She portrays a classical "southern bell" aesthetic accompanied by colors, found objects, and fashion from other influences. It's a beautiful juxtaposition of cultures. Using paper from each destination she visits, she employs color, texture, and pattern to create collages and paintings that in turn, connect her viewer to these everyday scenes she paints. Her work is both paint and collage, and the intent is to draw the viewer in and give them insight to the joyful emotion the piece evokes. 

As her life has progressed, Schuessler finds herself painting scenes that are applicable to each stage of life she finds herself in. Her most recent work includes both single figures but also families, married couples, and happy children. She feels this draw towards painting relatable milestones and carefully replicating how she feels during that time. As Schuessler herself states, everyone feels the desire to experience joy and love. She is clearly inspired by patterns and color, but people are what inspire her the most. The innate human want to have a life full of happiness  is what prompts and drives her work.

Schuessler has been pursuing art for over twenty years through all sorts of avenues. She studied in Georgia and France, and moved to Hong Kong to immerse herself in the colorful culture. These days, she lives in both Atlanta and Puerto Rico and has even taught art in local public schools. She continues to impress as her work becomes more established, and is now featured in private homes and galleries all over the world. 

With all of her success, she remains grounded in what she knows. Schuesslers' family and faith come first in her life, and her desire to spread joy through her artwork is more and more evident with each piece she paints. 

"Having been born and raised in Georgia, my southern roots run deep and you can even hear it when I speak. As with most Southerners, my faith is strong, my family comes first and I'm passionate about my work. The world has many distractions and choices, but I define success as the ability to stay focused on well intended goals. I have traveled, studied and lived in many places around the globe from Hong Kong to Puerto Rico. I have found that although the scenery and cultures can be extreme in their differences, much remains the same. We all need someone to love, something to hope for and goals to achieve. My paintings depict these common essentials as I illustrate couples dancing, families celebrating and friends standing together."

- Kim Schuessler