Alyice on May 30th, 2008

Interview With Susie Monday

When one thinks of “mixed media artist” one may conjure up the idea of someone who works mainly with paints and canvases but compliments such works with other media like fabric, buttons, metal objects, wooden objects, plaster, and so forth. But that’s not the true picture. Mixed media artists are so much more than painters who adhere a few embellishments to their work and Susie Monday is one such artist.

Susie Monday, Artist

Meet Susie

Susie Monday, Artist

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Ever since she was a child, she’s had a love for art but over the past ten years she’s been truly living the artist’s dream by working full time as both an artist and an instructor of art. She believes that creating is not only her purpose in life but that it allows her to give back to the community of artists and the world, in general. And while she may be a successful artist monetarily she says her real success has come from being able to find her artistic voice and develop up into something consistent and real.

Susie “creates spirit-inspired art quilts, art cloth and one-of-a-kind table linens” that she hopes will find a home on everyone’s wall. Just listen to what Susie has to say about her art, criticism of her art, and why she feels it is important to “Get in thee studio.”

There’s a lot of mixed media collage work on the market these days, how do you differentiate yours from the rest? In other words, what do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?
My mixed media collage work is primarily textile-based, though I use many different media to create the surface imagery, color, pattern and texture. My style is eclectic and colorful and is strongly inspired by the culture, icons, imagery, natural beauty and palette of the South Texas borderlands.

As you know, art is very subjective in nature. What some people like, others do not. I’m sure you’ve received both positive and negative feedback in your career, but what I want to know is how you handle the negative criticism, especially when it hurts deep down within your soul?
I have learned with time to consider criticism as a pointer to what might need improvement but I always reserve the right to disagree! And an opinion about my work is just that—an opinion. I consider the source, the expertise of the critic, the rationale for getting in or not getting in any particular exhibit. There is a lot of fabulous work out there—mine may just not fit the venue, the intent, the moment. Next time it might! Truly, I try not to let it hurt my soul, no matter what. As artists we have to do the work and leave the quality up to the universe. If I work, my work will improve, will fit, will suit when it’s supposed to.

What’s the coolest art tip you’ve ever received?
Get thee to the studio.

Many times we, artists, find excuses for not actually getting to the work. We have other demands on our time (maybe even full time jobs); the space we have doesn’t meet our dream image of the studio we “need.” our ideas need some new tool or some new art supply that isn’t on hand, we aren’t “in the mood,” or we think we do not have any good, original ideas. We come up with a million excuses for not putting our hands on the clay or into the paint or onto the sewing machine. There’s another website we must visit, another place of inspiration we must check out, another evening of “Dancing with the Stars” because anything is more fun than just getting in there.

Distractions are everywhere. It’s up to us to not allow them to steal our creativity or our play time.

I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what I am going to do in my studio. I just go there and start working. I have a lot of things going at once and it looks like a cyclone went off between the four walls, but I just dive in and get my hands engaged; even if my brain wants to explore the refrigerator contents or spend just a little more time worrying about the price of gas.

When I make myself leave the laundry, turn off the tube, close the door, and just sit and look at the materials I have to work with I began piddle around with what IS, not what I want it to be. And it’s then that I engage the real issue: a fear of success, rather than a fear of failure.

Most artists are in the business of transformation—from raw material to powerful visual communication that speaks to the soul. It’s a bit scary to actually succeed at that, and we often dampen our best ideas with the fear of what might happen if our dreams do come true.

“Get thee to the studio” means that I do the work and let the consequences and the quality take care of itself, whether it’s a success or a failure.

Interview With Susie Monday

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