Susan Tormoen never considered words her strong suit. 

At 89, fully independent and still driving, she worries whether she might have Alzheimer’s when she struggles to find the right word. 

Tormoen is a painter.  

Working in her studio, with her vibrant canvases brightening the walls, it’s clear expressing herself is the least of her issues. She’s found her voice in art.

Tormoen grew up in Minnesota and attended Carleton College. Eighteen months into college, her studies got postponed when she married and started a family.

Four children later, she resumed her studies at Lake Forest College, Illinois. Her fifth child was born shortly thereafter.

“The first course I took was a painting course, and I loved it. I had never painted before, never drawn, never sketched, never worked in art at all,” she recalled. 

The school didn’t offer an art degree, so she studied philosophy instead—but painting became her true passion.

“I think I’d always had an eye for art. I always loved architecture,” she said. 

CHALLENGES CREATE CANVASES

 Tormoen painted off and on and eventually moved to Wisconsin. A year and a half after her husband divorced her, she had a mental break resulting in a month-long hospitalization. She lost custody of her children. Back then, the social stigma attached to schizophrenia was immense. When her life settled down, she was jobless and living alone. 

With time on her hands, she returned to painting. It was something fun she could do on her own and required few supplies. She poured herself into her work. 

She gestured to an early watercolor hanging on her wall. 

“See that one? That’s what I did, and how I did it, I’ll never know,” she said.

Decades later, she was amused when a patron purchased one of her old pieces.

During her isolation, a social worker friend entrusted her with managing a group home for the elderly. The experience changed her life, proving to both her and her family that her mental health diagnosis didn’t define her.

GOLDEN YEARS, VIVID COLORS 

 In January 2000, Tormoen moved to Colorado to be closer to her daughters. She took art classes in Pueblo, working with pastels before switching to oils. 

“Pastels need glass and frames, and that was an expense you didn’t need when you had oils because you just had a canvas and that was it,” she said. 

In 2001, she settled in Colorado Springs, where the scenic beauty inspired her to focus on landscapes. Occasionally, city parks and historic buildings become her subjects, while the photo boxes in her studio provide a limitless source of future projects.

Tormoen enjoys mixing her own colors from a handful of base colors. Over a decade ago, she began experimenting with a palette knife in lieu of a paintbrush. While the knife lacked the precision of the brush, she liked how it handled, and it has become her predominant style today. 

Painting began as a way to relax from the rigors of raising five children and evolved into a creative and emotional outlet during tough times. Over the years, it grew into something more. 

“I’ve learned that it’s wonderful to have a hobby that you can do when you’re 90,” Tormoen said, anticipating her next birthday. 

Tormoen paints almost daily in her studio at Cottonwood Center for the Arts at 427 E. Colorado Ave. Her works have been shown at area businesses like Poor Richards and Platte Furniture Gallery. 

This past December, Tormoen received a lifetime achievement award from the Pikes Peak Pastel Society. As she nears her ninth decade, she has begun experimenting with multi-canvas pieces and incorporating more abstract elements into her work.

“I recommend everybody when they retire to either get a job that you like or something different than what you’ve been doing,” she said. 

PURPOSE IN THE PALETTE

 Painting has been a way for Tormoen to learn new skills, engage socially and stimulate her intellect. She has interacted with people whom she would have been unlikely to meet otherwise. Her love of art has permeated her connection with family as well. 

“My grandsons went to Europe this summer, and I said, ‘For heaven’s sake, if you do nothing else, look at the buildings.’” she said. 

To Tormoen’s delight, they sent her photos of themselves gazing at various buildings. 

Despite requests, Tormoen doesn’t plan on teaching art anytime soon, citing her lack of formal education. Yet in her own life, she has plenty of lessons to impart. 

“I think if I hadn’t been handicapped, I might not have been as involved in [painting] as I was,” she said.

For Tormoen, painting is more than a way to pass time; it’s been about exploring the world around her and sharing her perspective along the way. As a writer paints with words, she writes on canvas. Her lifelong education extends beyond pen and paper, and she’s a living testament to how sometimes a picture is, indeed, worth more than a thousand words.