top of page
Me & The Widow .jpeg

In the studio...

Roseblade Art Studio.  Working on Remains of the Widow, a paper & cloth mache figure with natural materials, manipulated fabrics and clay face.  She is the counterpart of Remains of the Bride

self potrait.jpg

Self Portrait

(also cover of my personal memoir:

Shades of Grief)

0-3_edited.jpg

On stage as Amanda in

The Glass Menagerie                                          

images copy.jpg

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.   

 Membership :

  • San Juan Island Artists Registry

  • Founding member of The San Juan Island's Art Commission 2015-2019

  • San Juan Community Theater - Board of Directors

  • San Juan Island's Artists Studio  Tour 

 

Awards and recognition:

Anacortes Annual Art at the Port Juried Fine Art Exhibit    

  • Bill Mitchell Memorial Award

  • Art in the Schools Purchase Award

  •  People's Choice Award 

San Juan Island Art Museum Artist Registry Show

  •  People's Choice Award

Art Doll Magazine 

  •  Article & photos — “A Journey With Rabbits” 

 

Showings - Exhibits 

  • Northwest Alliance Virtual Holiday Show 2021

  • San Juan Island Museum of Art Annual Artist Registry Show 2017-22 

  • Anacortes Art at the PortJuried Fine Art Exhibit

  • San Juan Island's Studio Tour and gallery show  2010-2022

  • Waterworks Gallery, Friday Harbor, WA - Holiday Show 2011

 

Education - Background

  • Artistic Director of the San Juan Community Theater - 2012-2015

  • Middle School Art Teacher 

  • University of Puget Sound - BA Art Education & Art History 

  • Honolulu Academy of Arts - Painting Studies

bottom of page