Welcome! For the first time, you can now explore the growing digital collection of Susan Cua’s artwork all in one place. This online gallery will become a legacy home to hundreds of documented pieces created over the span of 25 years, capturing moments of inspiration through expressive color, light, and movement. In addition to Ms. Cua's work, you will get a chance to experience her travels as we post about journeys that inspire her.

From vibrant cityscapes to atmospheric landscapes, each work reflects years of dedication to the craft of pastel painting and impressionist art.

We will be adding more completed artwork daily, so please check back often as the gallery continues to grow.

All Posts

Shayna Cua & Sheila Cua | New York Coffee Chat | Pastel on Paper | By Susan Cua

"Shayna & Sheila’s Coffee Chat, New York City"

Shayna & Sheila’s Coffee Chat, New York City is grounded in a distinctly personal narrative: the two young women depicted are the artist’s nieces, Shayna and Sheila, observed during a quiet moment of conversation at a New York Coffee shop during a family meet up for a performance. This lends the work a heightened sense of intimacy, transforming what might otherwise read as a casual café scene into familial remembrance.

CUA FAMILY

2 minutes ago2 min read

Evanston Dog Beach | Oil on Canvas | By Susan Cua

"The Dog Beach | Evanston, Illinois" | Oil on Canvas | By Susan Cua

This oil on canvas by Susan Cua presents a quiet, contemplative view of Dog Beach in Evanston, rendered with a restrained yet expressive impressionist sensibility. The composition is anchored by a low horizon line, allowing the sky to dominate the pictorial field. Expansive and atmospheric, the sky is built through layered, gestural brushwork that captures the shifting density and movement of clouds. Variations in tone—from cool grays to luminous whites—create a sense of dept

MIDWEST

2 days ago2 min read

"Autumn Leaves, Paris"

Autumn Leaves – Paris Collection by Susan Cua, rendered in pastel on paper, offers a quiet and reflective view of Paris shaped as much by memory as by observation. The composition is organized around a gently bending river that leads the eye toward a low stone bridge in the distance. This sense of movement is reinforced by the rows of trees lining the embankments, their forms softened and slightly elongated, guiding the viewer through the scene without rigid structure.

FRANCE

2 days ago2 min read

"Cafe le Courcelles | Paris, France"

This pastel work by Susan Cua presents a compelling impressionistic rendering of a Parisian streetscape centered on Café Le Coucrelles. Executed with a softened, atmospheric handling of form, the composition emphasizes mood and sensory experience over precise architectural fidelity. The façade of the café, with its muted earth tones and loosely defined structural lines, anchors the scene, while the iconic red awning and vertical “TABAC” sign provide striking chromatic accents

FRANCE

4 days ago2 min read

"Matador, Horse, & Bull" | Malaga, Spain

This pastel on paper by Susan Cua captures a volatile moment within the bullfight, emphasizing motion and tension over spectacle. The composition is driven by strong diagonal movement, as both the charging bull and the mounted matador surge across the surface, creating a sense of instability and immediacy.

SPAIN

5 days ago1 min read

Bullfight Scene | Pastel on Paper | by Susan Cua

"I Hate This Scarf" | Madrid, Spain

“I Hate This Scarf” by Susan Cua is a striking pastel-on-paper composition that captures the visceral intensity and psychological tension of the Spanish bullfighting arena in Madrid, Spain. Rendered in a loose, gestural impressionist style, the work privileges movement, color, and emotional immediacy over precise figuration. The blurred contours of both matador and bull dissolve into sweeping arcs of saturated pigment, evoking not a literal scene but the sensation of motion,

SPAIN

Mar 172 min read

"Montmartre Trio - One Fine Day In Paris"

his pastel on paper by Susan Cua captures the everyday poetry of Montmartre in Paris, a neighborhood long associated with painters, cafés, and street artists. Executed in an impressionistic style, a key characteristic is Cua's works. The composition centers on three figures—viewed from behind—walking together through a lively open-air art market.

FRANCE

Mar 142 min read

"Chicago: Reflections at Crown Fountain, Millennium Park"

This pastel painting by Susan Cua captures a quiet, reflective moment near the iconic Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, one of the most recognizable public spaces in Chicago. Rather than depicting the fountain in its usual crowded summer atmosphere, the artist presents the scene with a contemplative calm. The broad walkway stretches forward, its wet surface reflecting muted city lights and colors, creating a soft mirror that leads the viewer deeper into the composition.

CHICAGO

Mar 122 min read