(Chelsea Update would like to thank Ben Fineman for the information in this story.)
If you’ve lived in Chelsea for any length of time, there’s a good chance you already know Sue Craig’s work, even if you don’t know her name.
For decades, her paintings of local homes, downtown streets, and Michigan landscapes have quietly captured the character of this community. Now, Geek Brush Studio is giving her art the spotlight it deserves with a solo exhibition running through the end of April.
The show features original oils, watercolors, pastels, and watercolor-pastel combinations, all drawn from the places and scenes that have shaped Sue’s life as an artist. Chelsea landmarks, neighborhood views, garden flowers, and sweeping Great Lakes shorelines fill the gallery walls.
Everyone is welcome to a Meet the Artist reception on Saturday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for a morning with Sue, grab a donut or breakfast pretzel from Chelsea Bakery, pour yourself some coffee, and see the collection up close. Sue will be on hand to talk about her work, her process, and the stories behind the paintings. Everything on display is available for purchase.
Chelsea Born and Raised
Sue grew up right here in Chelsea and never really left. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in Art Education, then spent 30 years teaching English at Chelsea schools. All the while, she was painting. Many locals first encountered her work through her watercolor house portraits, which she advertised in the Ann Arbor Observer for years.
After retiring in 2001, she dove deeper into oil and pastel painting and became a regular with plein air groups across the region. She’s a member of the Chelsea Artists Guild, the Great Lakes Plein Air Painters, and the Ann Arbor and Great Lakes Pastel Association, among others. She’s served as a yearly Artist in Residence at The Terrace Inn in Petoskey and showed work at ArtPrize in 2014.
What makes Sue’s paintings stand out is how personal they feel. She paints what she sees on her walks, on her drives, from her studio window. Light is everything to her, and it shows. The same street can look like a completely different place depending on the season, the weather, the time of day, and that’s exactly what she’s after.
Two Paintings Worth the Trip
There’s plenty to see in the exhibition, but here are two pieces that can give you an idea of what to expect.
Lake Michigan Beach is a large-scale oil on wrapped canvas (48″x35″) showing the shoreline at Glen Haven, Michigan. It’s the kind of painting that makes you feel the wind. Craig’s bold, energetic brushwork brings the dune grass, the water, and the sky to life in a way that feels almost kinetic. If you’ve ever stood on a Lake Michigan beach on a bright, breezy day, you’ll recognize the feeling immediately.
Then there’s Seitz’s Tavern II, a 16″x20″ oil that will hit different for anyone who remembers the real thing. This warm streetscape captures the brick facades, the hanging tavern sign, and those distinctive globed streetlamps that still line the block. Seitz’s Tavern is long gone, but Sue’s painting preserves it the way a lot of us still picture it, bathed in soft light and framed by trees. It’s the kind of piece that makes you stop and remember.
A Few Words from Sue and Brenda
“I’m inspired by what I see on a daily basis,” Craig says. “The world is truly a miraculous place, and we are blessed to be here. Whether it’s a familiar street in Chelsea that looks completely new in the afternoon light, or a stretch of beach on Lake Michigan, I want to capture that feeling, the way a moment of beauty can stop you in your tracks.”
Geek Brush Studio founder Brenda Fineman is equally enthusiastic: “Sue Craig is exactly the kind of artist we dreamed of featuring when we expanded our gallery space. Her work embodies everything we believe in: the joy of creating, the beauty of our community, and the power of art to connect people. We’re honored to give her paintings a home on Middle Street.”
About Geek Brush Studio
Geek Brush Studio opened in 2022 and moved last year into the storefront at 108 E. Middle St. that previously housed Serendipity Books and the Loft Gallery. Founded by Brenda Fineman, a Certified Ross Instructor® who trained at the original Bob Ross studio in Muncie, Indiana, the studio is part art school, part retail shop, and part gallery, all built around the idea that making art should be fun, low-pressure, and open to everyone.
Classes cover everything from the signature Bob Ross-style wet-on-wet oil painting to watercolor to a new upcoming miniature painting class. There are also drop-in Make & Take sessions, Messy Masterpieces for little kids, and free Teen Art Nights every month. The gallery hosts rotating exhibitions with Meet the Artist receptions throughout the year.
Coming soon, Geek Brush Studio is launching the Chelsea Art Alley, turning the pedestrian walkway behind the studio into a 24/7 outdoor gallery with rotating weatherproof prints by local artists. The project includes an Art Alley Residency, a “fishbowl” studio space where visiting artists can work in full view of passersby and sell directly to the public. The call for artists and residency reservations are both currently open.
Go See It
The exhibition is free and open during regular studio hours through April 30. The March 21 reception is your best chance to meet Sue, hear her stories, enjoy some Chelsea Bakery treats, and maybe take home an original painting. You can find more details at www.geekbrushstudio.com or by calling (734) 719-0804. Follow @geekbrushstudio on social media for updates.
To explore more of Sue Craig’s work, visit suecraigmichiganimpressionist.com or look her up on Facebook at Sue Craig, Michigan Impressionist.
