Biography - Susan Caroline Justus

Susan creates assemblage, paintings, weavings, and wearable art utilizing a variety of natural and man-made materials. In most cases the natural materials and man-made objects are discovered during what she calls her sacred adventures, i.e., daily walks. She engages with sentient and non-sentient beings with curiosity and an open heart. Robert Frost said,

A poem begins with a lump in the throat, a homesickness or a love sickness.

This "lump" is her impetus to observe or collect an object. The color, texture, shape, and emotional charge she feels toward the objects inform her process of finding connections, relationships, and metaphors that lead toward the creation of a piece of work. Some items are left unaltered. Others are altered through additive and subtractive processes. The end result is not necessarily intended to be an enhancement, but a reworking or prompting of an unexpected connection that results from a new perspective. Her intention is for the viewer to make their own connections and experience the joy of fresh perspectives. Her paintings are primarily abstract with a close relationship to the landscapes she experiences.

Susan had her first solo exhibition, "Shadows and Light," at the Goldmark Cultural Center in Richardson, TX in 2022. She currently has a follow up exhibit, "Meditations on Fragility, Impermanence, Resilience, and Joy." Her work has also been included in a variety of group exhibitions:

Susan has pursued her art by participating in many immersive workshops at The Encaustic Center and The Bonny Studio in Dallas, TX; Mixed Media with Deborah Dancy at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill; Paper Making with Natural Materials and 3D Application with Gibby Waitzkin at Penland School of Crafts; and and various painting workshops at Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM. She is currently mentored by Bonny Leibowitz. She also participated in the Yellow Chair Salon, hosted by Michael David of M. David & Co. Gallery and received individual mentorship from Michael David from 2020 through 2023.

Prior to pursuing art full time, she completed the coursework for a Master's Degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington. This provided a relevant foundation for her art studies. While in attendance at the university, she was honored to receive recognition for "Most Visionary" in the Edmund N. Bacon International Competition. Her first career out of college was with PwC, spending over 18 years in audiit, consulting, and software design.