Susan J. Roche creates atmospheric, hand-finished works that exist between photography and painting.

Through Saltwater Mythologies, Susan explores timeless human stories inspired by Greek mythology. Each work begins beneath the surface, where water becomes more than a setting—it becomes a collaborator. Movement softens, gravity disappears, and familiar forms become something unexpected.

Those underwater photographs are then transformed by hand through layers of encaustic wax, oils, pigments, and pastel. Every piece is individually finished, creating an original work with its own depth and presence between photography and painting.

Her work is held in private collections throughout the United States and is sought by collectors drawn to its beauty, mystery, and quiet emotional resonance.

Surface and Light

Each work begins underwater before being developed by hand through layers of encaustic wax, oils, pastel, and mineral pigments. As light moves across the surface, the work reveals shifting depth and atmosphere that cannot be experienced in a photograph alone.