PEOPLE OF INTEREST
80
The ARTIST
Cassens has expanded into digital art which then segued her into
home decor. Pictured, left to right are two of her prints, Metaphysical
Flower and Fairy Power.
When Fort Pierce artist Susie Cassens was only 8
years old, she started drawing, and her mother
took notice. “My mom gave me some art books to
draw in,” Cassens says. “And she started taking
me to art museums.”
When Cassens was 16, she was allowed to leave John
Carroll High School a few hours early and take art lessons
with one of her mother’s friends, well-known impressionist
Therese Knowles. Knowles was one of a premier group of
eight artists known as the Indian River School painters who
worked under the auspices of famous landscape artist, A.E.
Backus. Under Knowles’ tutelage, Cassens painted landscapes,
streetscapes and Florida beaches using oil paints. “We
had a good time,” Cassens says. “We hung out at Backus’
home, it was great fun.”
Today, at 60 years old, Cassens remains true to herself as an
artist although she has expanded into experimental photography.
The Fort Pierce native still focuses on sunrises, sunsets
and landscapes, but she digitizes a lot of her art into photogra
SKs wKicK can tKen be transferred onto diͿerent items
including pillows and handbags.
“Digital art has allowed me to segue into home décor,
which I love,” she says. “A lot more people can enjoy them
that way.”
Cassens sells her work primarily at Chic and Shore Things,
a home décor store in downtown Fort Pierce. Store owner
Becky Demanuel says Cassens’ work is popular with her
customers because of its uniqueness.
“Susie is an outstanding artist and she does interesting,
diͿerent Sieces sKe doesn·t tr\ to sticN to Must one Yenueµ
Demanuel says. “Her work is unusual and beautiful, and
she’s a great lady.”
Cassens lives in Fort Pierce, where she and her husband
Steve brought up their three sons. “It was a great place growing
up and a great place to raise a family,” Cassens says.
“Growing up here, we had great fun. We had the beach, surfing
and also rodeos west of town. My kids had the same.”
Cassens is also part of a citrus grove dynasty. Both she and
her husband’s families have been in the citrus business in
Fort Pierce for more than 100 years. Her husband is owner
of the eponymous Cassens Grove Service, and her father,
Louis Forget, co-owns Forget Brothers Grove with Cassens’
two brothers. The Forget family moved to Fort Pierce from
Montreal in 1912.
Cassens has always stayed close to home, except when she
went to college at the University of Florida and Florida Atlantic
8niYersit\. 6Ke studied Àne arts but ultimatel\ attained
her degree in education because she wanted to return to the
small town where she grew up.
“I didn’t want to live in a big city and you really needed
to live in a big city to thrive as an artist,” Cassens says.
Instead, she decided to use her degree to teach art.
When she married Steve and started having a family in
her mid-20s, she put down her paint brush for about 10 >>
ED DRONDOSKI
Susie Cassens began her art education at an early age and studied with
Indian River School artists Therese Knowles and Jacqueline Schindehette.
BY SIOBHAN FITZPATRICK AUSTIN