Big Bend

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Angels, Saints and Sinners

I often use the female form in my work — it’s me and not me, aspects of the sacred feminine who lives in and works through all of us, men and women alike. I actually use patterns traced from my own body for these images, connecting quite literally to me and my world. As a loose series of work, many of the icons repeat through my work: hands for the power of making, heads for the home of thought and ideas, moons and mermaids for the siren of creativity.

Handmaiden, Desert Spring, 2016; 26” by 61”

Chalchiutilicue is the Aztec goddess of running water and desert springs who brings fertility to crops and is sister to the Rain god Tlaloc. During the time of flood she protected humanity by changing people into fish -- and also ushers us into communion as goddess of baptism. $1200

Textile collage: Surface design on fabric: screen printed, stamped, photo transfer. Printed fabrics from iPad designs. Fused, machine and hand stitched. $1200

Detail: Handmaiden, Desert Spring Textile collage, 2016; 26” by 61”

Pomegranate Queen, 2020; 24" by 50"

I love pomegranates and what better queen could there be? She reigns over the autumn winds, spreading abundance from here throne of South Texas majesty. I look for pomegranates wherever I go and this bold yellow screen printed shape makes me smile every time I see it.

Repurposed Mexican embroidered yoke, hand-dyed and screen printed fabrics, digitally designed fabrics, machine and hand stitched raw edge appliqué. $950.

DETAIL, Pomegranate Queen

Grief, Lost Rituals; 2013; 24" by 60"

As an artist I have some powerful tools for dealing with and transforming pain. This piece is one of a series I made after my father died and I really transformed my grief through making about 12 pieces of work. This one is called “Grief, Lost Rituals” and explores feelings of loss, that in other cultures and even other times in our culture, would have been marked with symbolic gestures and rituals we have lost --cutting of hair, the tearing of clothes, loud choruses of mourners. This series helped transform a very painful time in my life -it did it’s work of helping me heal, confronting grief but moving it into something outside myself.

Screen printed and hand-dyed fabrics, batik on silk and cotton, cyanotype print on cotton, recycled Guatemalan fabrics, raw edge fused appliqué with machine and hand stitching. $1200

DETAIL, Grief, Lost Rituals; 2013; 24" by 60"

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The Road to Compostella, 2014

This gallery presents the work and some scenes from the opening of my solo exhibition in the Texas Hill Country. The show was at Salon d'Artiste, a private home/museum near Medina Lake in September 2014.

Above and Below

36" by 50" Textile collage on wooden frame $1800

Above and Below, detail

When Santiago Was a Woman

48” by 72” by 1.5” Textile collage on wooden frame $3000

When Santiago Was a Woman, detail

Pomegranate Queen

19” by 21” Textile collage wall hanging, 2014 SOLD

Pomegranate Woman

19” by 21” Textile collage wall hanging, 2014 $300

Hands, First Fruit

18’” by 22” Textile collage on wooden frame $300

All is One

24” by 60” Textile collage wall hanging, 2013 SOLD

Recently shown in the 2013 Dinner@Eight exhibition, International Quilt Festival

All is One, detail

Reflections, Inside and Out

24" by 60" Textile collage wall hanging, 2014 $600*

Refrlections, detail

Words on the Surface

24” by 60” Textile collage wall hanging, 2013 $600

Words on the Surface, detail

The Road Ahead, #1

30” by 32” by 1.5” Textile on wooden frame SOLD

The Road Ahead, #1, detail

The Road Ahead, #2

30” by 32” by 1.5” Textile on wooden frame $900

The Road Ahead, detail

Conversation, Eucalyptus Forest

30” by 32” by 1.5” Textile on wooden frame $900

Conversation, detail

Camino Village, #1

30” by 32” by 1.5”, Textile on wooden frame $900

Camino Village, #1, detail

Falling

30” by 32” by 1.5” Textile on wooden frame SOLD

Falling, detail

Camino Village, #2

30” by 32” by 1.5” Textile on wooden frame $600

Camino Village, #2, detail

Queen of the Camino

30” by 32” by 1.5” Textile on wooden frame $800

Peaches, Farmers' Market

Textile, stitched print, framed 2013 8.5” by 11” $200

Another Highway

Textile, stitched digital print, framed 2013 8.5” by 11” SOLD

First Fruit

Textile, stitched digital print, framed 2013 8.5” by 11” $200

Midnight Series

Two hand-stitched pieces in shadow box frames, 20 " by 20" 2014

Mystery, Midnight

Textile, hand stitched 9” by 9" SAVE

The Road, Midnight

Textile, hand stitch 9” by 9” SOLD

Kaleidoscope

40” by 103” Digitally printed textile $130

Moonlight Sonata

40” by 103” Digitally printed textile $130

Moonlight Sonata

Moonlight Sonata, detail

First Fruit

40” by 103” Digitally printed textile SOLD

First Fruit, detail

Ione Palace

Salon d'Artiste is the exhibition gallery devoted to changing artist exhibits. Other galleries are home to the owners' collections, family archives and a chapel and dining room for art and cultural events.

On the Camino!

Text on Textiles

I am fascinated with letter forms, language and found words and signs. I am using text in my work in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, with a variety of surface design techniques, including stamping, screen-printing, direct digital printing, fused collage, sun prints and hand lettering. I teach these techniques in my online and in person workshops. I also love to experiment with text designs using my iPad apps. If you are interested in any of these approaches, send me a message through the contact page and I will add you to my notification list for upcoming workshops and courses.

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Me

Artist, maker, teacher, author, head cook and bottlewasher.

The art I make is the result of a life-long love of pattern, texture and color. How I teach is a skill honed by experience (I started teaching creative arts to younger kids when I was 12). After earning a B.A. in Studio Arts from Trinity University, I helped lead an internationally recognized educational foundation, designed curriculum exhibits for schools and other institutions, wrote and edited for a major daily newspaper, opened the San Antonio Children's Museum and then, a couple of decades ago, took the scary but essential (for me) leap to become a full time artist and art teacher.

The Missing Alphabet

To purchase any art, contact Temple Cultural Activities Center. The Center receives 35% commission of sales to support its programming.

In addition to Susie’s art work, this exhibit showcases a remarkable collection of large and small art quilts by ten other quilt artists. Their website links are here and their work in the exhibit is on the the appropriate gallery pages — CLICK ON THE ARTISTS’ NAMES FOR WEBSITES. Each was invited to participate because their work in the exhibit reflects a perception and creative strand of work.