Susan Tantlinger studied psychology and art at the University of California at Berkeley.  She graduated from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1977, specializing in drawing with a BFA.   During the last semester of college a huge light bulb went off when Susan discovered that she could paint on fabric, thus combining her two major interests.   Before graduation a large quilted painting of John Mitchell had recieved an award by the Smithsonian and was travelling to museums around the country. 
     Susan began painting on fabric during the week, quilting it into pillows and selling these on the weekends, at a street fair, literally sitting on the street, her wares spread out on a blanket in San Francisco.  Selling out every week, she began to hire assistants.  Within two years there were fourteen employees and the sewing was subcontracted to Chinatown.  There followed a retail store, Fat Chance on Sutter Street and catalog sales to Macys, Bloomingdales, Horchow and Neiman Marcus.  Susan travelled around the country making appearances at all Neiman Marcus stores for three years with her line. 
     In 1980 Susan packed it all in and moved to Mexico where she began to concentrate on her painting.  With a small collection of work in hand she travelled to France.   After looking at various galleries in Paris, she made an appointment with Naifs et Primitifs, Rue du Dragon, and was accepted immediately.  She began by participating in group shows two weeks later and was given her first one man show in the Spring of 1984.
  Post cards were printed of Susan's work, and the book, Chats Naifs appeared in English, French and German.
  The success of the show in Paris was rewarded by the proposal of a second one man show there in 1985. A One Man show in New York followed in 1987.
   In 1991 a show was arranged through the French gallery for Susan in Chicago.
   During these years there were four group shows per year at the gallery in Paris.  Some of these featured the art of Susan Tantlinger on the invitation and poster.  There were five successful one man shows of pastels on Belle Ile en Mer; from 1991- 1996. 
   Working constantly as a free-lance stylist or creator of projects for the magazine, "100 Ideas," Susan discovered paper mache around 1984.  There followed 17 years with her arms up to the elbows in glue.  The dancing chickens and guinna fowl were sold in the gift shop of the Louvre.  Never one bird was made that did not sell.  Not being a machine, but an artist, Susan stopped through pure chicken saturation. 
   Then began the era of bears; teddy bears?  Well, artist bears.  Times were good and bears sold and sold.  Susan was featured in the Teddy Bears of Whitney catalog of Ian Pout for 6 years running with a full page.  Her bears sold through The Toy Shoppe and of course at the Nain Bleu in Paris, a store created in 1888 on the Faubourg St. Honore.  The record sale was $2200 for a bear, sold through the Reindeer Ranch in Cody, Wyoming.  Another remarkable sale was a bear that sold in 20 min. on ebay for $1500.  Susan was almost more well known for her dogs than the bears.  A dog by Susan Tantlinger was purchased with public funds for the permanent collection of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, in Paris = The Louvre. 
    In 2008 Susan travelled from France to ride with Ken McNabb in Clark, Wy.  Seven months later she was installed in a log home there.  Since August, 2009 Susan has made jewelry and also does floor cloths.  The latter is a medium she loves as it combines so many aspects of her artistic work over the years.

You can purchase Susan's work on Etsy in her shop.