Suzanne Haydu

Suzanne Haydu received her Bachelors in Art (emphasis in Photography) from Humboldt State University. Her photographs focused on working with dancers, scarves, diaphanous silk parachutes, and umbrellas in outdoor settings to create an ethereal mood. Her photographs were in black and white and frequently shot with infrared film making the sky go dark and the foliage light with a granular effect. Many of the photographs were hand painted with pastel colored oils. Her photographs were always experiments with nature, such as playing with the wind, using back lighting, and shooting directly into the sun. She showed her hand painted infrared photographs at the Women's Art Gallery in Chico, local venues in Chico and Sausalito, and at the San Bernardino and Riverside Art Galleries. She received awards for her photography from the Berkeley Camera Club and the Riverside Art Gallery, including in a juried show of 35 artists under the age of 35.

In the late 1980's, Suzanne switched to oil paintings. Working with nude female models, Suzanne painted them in clouds and added wings for an angelic effect.

In the mid 1990's Mitsuyo St. Klair, an abstract artist that had been living in Placerville, California, mentored Suzanne.  Suzanne was taken by how much fun Mitsuyo had while giving a demonstration at the Placerville Arts Association. Suzanne returned to the fun she had with photography, specifically playing with nature. Now, her paintings are bold and organic.

Suzanne has shown her art at Phoenix Art Gallery, Twenty-Twenty Eyes, Hang it Up Gallery, Sacramento Democratic Headquarters, Gallery 48, Synapse Wines,  A Well Hung Art Collective, Iron Willow Gallery and Studio, the Bank of America Gallery at Harris Center-Folsom Lake College, Confidence Firehouse Gallery's juried sho entitled "A Room of Their Own: Women Artists of the Sierra," PAA Studio Tour and El Dorado Hills Art Association Art Tour. She particpated in the "Big Names, Small Art" Auction fundraiser for the Crocker Museum in 2022.

Note:  Suzanne is a Registered Dietitian and holds two Masters in Public Health (MPH).  One MPH Degree is in Nutrition and one is in Health Education.  After working in Malawi with the Peace Corps and WIC and clinical nutrition in the Bay Area, for thirty years-she worked and retired from the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division of the California Department of Public Health. In 2022, Suzanne virtually volunteered to author an Albanian high school nutrition curriculum through the Peace Corps. She is nationally recognized for her work in maternal-child nutrition with special emphasis in breastfeeding promotion and early prevention of obesity. She has previously been known as Susan Beck and Suzanne Beck.