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Suzanne Rende, owner of Naked Chick Art and Suzanne Rende Decorative Painting, cannot remember a time that she was not drawing, painting, and creating art. She always knew it was something she loved, but by the time she painted her first commissioned mural in high school, she had started to realize she could make a career out of her love of art and painting.
Ironically, the teacher she credits with fostering her passion shares a name with her lifelong love. Suzanne’s high school art teacher, Art Normandin, helped her develop a portfolio for art school applications. From there, she attended Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia, graduating with honors and going on to start her own business.
Suzanne Rende Decorative Painting offers murals and faux finishes in all types of commercial and residential settings. Suzanne collaborates with clients to achieve what they see in their mind’s eye.
Dan Baker, golf pro and PGA professional at Bridgewater Golf Club, raves about the attention Suzanne’s mural gets at the golf shop.
“She did an outstanding job painting a mural of the 7th hole at Pebble Beach,” Baker says. “We get so many compliments on it.”
As a business owner, Suzanne juggles multiple responsibilities—acting as owner, artist, secretary, and customer service—but they all lead to her favorite part: the completed project.
“I love to see the smile on my clients’ faces when I’m done—especially when they want to give me a hug or a tear comes to their eye,” Rende shares. “In many cases, when the process starts we are strangers, and when I’m done we are friends.”
It’s not just customers who become valued friends. Suzanne also enjoys the camaraderie at Central Market York, where she and her partner “in art and life” David Lynch recently opened a stand, Naked Chick Art.
“The atmosphere at Central Market was one of the deciding factors to open a stand there,” explains Rende. “I just love the feel of the place.”
“I love the small businesses in York,” she adds. “Everyone seems to be trying to reinvent something, like a coffee shop or a consignment shop.” There are some really hip places popping up.”
Naked Chick Art is certainly one of those places. Suzanne and David describe it as “art in the raw.”
“We are an artist collective selling raw art of all types,” Rende says. “We use natural, repurposed, reclaimed, and up-cycled items to create handmade pieces.”
The public seems to be responding. Within just one month of opening the stand at Central Market, they had expanded to double the size.
While Suzanne and David are still learning the ins and outs of their market stand, they are lucky to have tremendous support from everyone there. Suzanne praises both the diversity of the businesses within the market and the visitors who frequent them.
“The people are very friendly, and everyone seems to have a story to tell,” says Rende. “I’ve met some amazing people there in just the short time we’ve been open.”
One of those stand owners, Leigh Moul, co-owner of Locust Point Cattle Company, watched Suzanne paint a commission of a farm pet and knew she would be perfect to put their first and favorite steer on canvas.
“Suzanne obviously loves animals and has an amazing ability to capture the essence of the animals she paints,” shares Moul.
Suzanne and David are enjoying the success of Naked Chick Art, but some of her most memorable projects were created at a time when she was struggling as a single mom. With Suzanne Rende Decorative Art slowing down and her marriage falling apart, Suzanne took a small job that ended up leading to some of her biggest jobs.
“I was struggling to make ends meet,” shares Rende. “I did one small job that led to a huge restaurant job at Cinder Bar, through word of mouth. That led to the biggest mural I’ve ever done, outside of an antique store, The Find, and a large ice cream shop, Lizzy’s.”
The succession of those murals helped Suzanne get her head above water and regain her enthusiasm and confidence.
“Through the years there were times when I struggled, but I could never give up my art,” says Rende. “I just can’t imagine working any other way.”
To learn more about Suzanne Rende Decorative Painting and Naked Chick Art, go to Facebook: facebook.com/art.n.murals and fb.me/nakedchickart or Instagram: @rende.art and @nakedchickart. To contact Suzanne, email nakedchickart@gmail.com or suzannerende@mac.com, or call/text 609-254-4364.
Naked Chick Art
34 W. Philadelphia St., York, PA
Open: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday9 a.m.-2 p.m. and every First Friday 5-9 p.m.