About

"My first memories are of light and color and they have magnetized my attention throughout my life. I have always found great satisfaction in creating images and developing them into a visual statement. The process often begins when something grabs my attention and won't let go. I can feel it spin around and take shape and develop into a finished piece."

Background
Raised in the Chicago area, Susan was first introduced to the French Impressionists in second grade while visiting the Art Institute of Chicago. She frequently visited the museum and each time was struck by the color and sense of light each painting presented. The amazement that filled her as a second grader has remained with Susan and has impacted her artistic expression to this day.

Susan won her first award in painting at age sixteen and has gone on to receive awards in both painting and fiber arts.  Her formal art training includes The Pratt Institute (Design), The Art Student League in NYC (Color Theory and Painting), The Massachusetts College of Art (Printmaking), The DeYoung Museum School in San Francisco (Metal Arts), and The University of Alaska Fairbanks (Sculpture and Metal Arts). Her work has been exhibited in Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, and Alaska.

Nowadays Susan spends as much time as possible on her boat exploring Alaska's stunning coastline. The marine landscape continues to inspire her artistic expression.

Current Work
Recently I have been producing works constructed of crocheted copper, brass, tin, and bronze wire. I am enamored with the texture and quality of the wire as light reflects off of it. The tension between the intimate sense of fabric when coupled with the cool metallic quality of metal wire expresses the dual nature of all things to me.

The wire pieces remind me of the story of Indira's Net. The story represents the universe as a net with a jewel at every intersection within the net. Each jewel reflects all the other jewels. This story reminds that all things are interconnected and that each of our actions is reflected infinitely. Because of this, we should consider our actions and the impacts of our actions with great thoughtfulness.

My artwork, inspired from my experiences of being in nature, are an effort to express change, growth and impermanence found within it. It seems we move through our lives so quickly, that we often miss simple moments of beauty offered by our natural surroundings. My hope is to capture these simple moments and remind of others of the beauty they hold.