08/27/2026
The Apple Shed Featured Artist Story: Susan Sanburg Humphrey
{Come meet Susan, hear more of her story and experience her newest collection during her artist reception: Saturday, September 5, 1:00–5:00 PM}
Susan Humphrey never knew she loved art until a 4-H trip changed her life. At 17 or 18 years old, Susan won a trip to Washington, D.C. On the bus, she met a young woman preparing to study art in college—and when Susan walked into the Smithsonian a few days later with her, something clicked.
“It changed my life.”
She bought several small art prints that day—four for $5—and still has them.
But Susan’s path to becoming an artist wasn’t a straight one. She spent 35 years working for City Market, beginning as a courtesy clerk and eventually becoming a produce specialist for the Denver district, helping produce and floral departments become profitable.
Her work kept her on the road, where she began noticing the incredible landscapes and wildlife all around her. She started carrying a camera in her lap, capturing photographs whenever she could and teaching herself digital art along the way.
After retiring in 2018, Susan had the time to dive more deeply into photography, painting, mixed media and recently even beaded jewelry. Although she works in several mediums, one thread runs through it all: the Western life she knows and loves.
Susan and her husband spent about 40 years as outfitters, packing hunters into the Big Cimarron on horses and mules and guiding on her family’s ranch near the Black Canyon. Today, they still seek adventure—but now they “hunt” wild sheep with a camera.
Her work is filled with horses, wildlife, ranch life and the rugged landscapes of the West. It also reflects something Susan learned from her father:
“The most intelligent people he ever knew were the ones who never stopped learning. The more you learn, people can’t take what you learn away from you.”
Susan’s history with The Apple Shed goes back about 15 years—and even further with owner Connie Williams, whom she knew through 4-H. Susan initially asked Connie if she could bring in one piece of artwork. Connie told her to bring five.
“I’m in some other galleries, but this one is my home gallery. I’d never leave The Apple Shed.”
