
Susan L. Williams - Artist
In the studio...

Self Portrait
(also cover of my personal memoir:
Shades of Grief)

On stage as Amanda in
The Glass Menagerie
When I was a little girl Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Disney movies, Alice in Wonderland and Wind in the Willows charged an early predilection for the anthropomorphizing of the objects around me. Everything had a story and an inner life. Everything had a soul.
A bit 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 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. As a director, the narrative, the plot, atmosphere, in other words, the costumes, sets, and lighting, were an artistic challenge that I loved to meet. Stage direction and character development were equally compelling. 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.
I believe all of these influences provided the genesis of my art which 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, the moments of inspiration is part of the amazing journey of life.
Membership :
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San Juan Island Artists Registry
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Founding member of The San Juan Island's Art Commission 2015-2019
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San Juan Community Theater - Board of Directors
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San Juan Island's Artists Studio Tour
Awards and recognition:
Anacortes Annual Art at the Port Juried Fine Art Exhibit
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Bill Mitchell Memorial Award
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Art in the Schools Purchase Award
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People's Choice Award
San Juan Island Art Museum Artist Registry Show
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People's Choice Award
Art Doll Magazine
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Article & photos — “A Journey With Rabbits”
Showings - Exhibits
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San Juan Island Museum of Art Annual Artist Registry Show 2017-
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Art at the Port Juried Fine Art Exhibit
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San Juan Island's Studio Tour and gallery show 2010-2019
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Waterworks Gallery, Friday Harbor, WA - Holiday Show 2011
Education - Background
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Artistic Director of the San Juan Community Theater - 2012-2015
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Middle School Art Teacher
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University of Puget Sound - BA Art Education & Art History
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Honolulu Academy of Arts - Painting Studies