In the studio...

Self Portrait

(also cover of my personal memoir:

Shades of Grief)

On stage as Amanda in

The Glass Menagerie                                          

About Susan L. Williams  

       When I was a little girl Grimm’s Fairy Tales,  Disney movies,  Alice in Wonderland and Wind in the Willows charged my early predilection for  anthropomorphizing the creatures around me.   Everything had a story and an inner life.  Everything had a soul.

       Later I received a book featuring costumes from around the world and I began to study them in earnest and draw my favorites.  This early exploration triggered a love of exotic and highly detailed apparel.  

       In my early twenties I began an  extensive foray into theatre.  I acted in and directed many dramas, comedies, musicals and staged radio dramas.   Designing costumes, and sets were part of every show I directed and a huge part of what I loved about the stage.   For me, the play was like a blank canvas on which I could turn my vision into a reality.  The experience opened me to a world of metaphor and archetypes that continue to inform my work. Theater can be a huge leap down the “rabbit hole," and I thrived in it.

       At the same time, I opened a boutique that I operated for over twenty five years.  Display, merchandising, and creating a specific atmosphere of sight, sound, and fragrance were an exciting challenge.  

       I believe all of these influences provided the genesis of my art that is as much about  narrative as it is about subject.   For me, every sculpture has a history waiting to be discovered.  Each character embodies their own story through costuming, gesture, and attitude.

       Art, directly and indirectly is a part of all of our lives.  Recognizing the turning points and the moments of inspiration is not always easy, but the reward comes as we open our heart and soul to the experience.   

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