Mother and daughter have developed their own unique approaches to the visual arts. Susan enjoys painting, while Julia prefers to work with clay. While they differ in their approach to art at the same time they both have the “horse gene” and have been passionate equestrians for many years.
It seems horses and art are a family focus. How have the horses in your life influenced your art? S: The horse is such a massive body, and to ride one creates overwhelming feelings of connection. For an artist, it would be difficult not to try to express this. The horses we have known have worked equally as hard to connect with us, as we with them.
You exhibited your works together for the first time at the dk Gallery Mother’s Day 2011. How was it working together on a single event? S: Working together is easy for us because there is no competition. There seems to be
a lot of acceptance of what is and just doing the work, which implies that we know how to prioritize. If the art is good, the people will come.
How do your artistic styles go together? S: Our styles complement each other because clay is mud, and paint is a muddy
substance with color. The texture is complimentary. My work is expressive and intuitive. I have used colorful mud to do this.
J: We are both working directly with our hands.
I am working always with my hands in clay and Mom works at times in acrylic, so this rough application translates similarities in the final product.
Julia, What’s the best advice you got from your mom? J: Work every day, even if you are just critiquing your work. How would you describe your work? J: My work expresses powerful hard-working creatures of this earth.
Humans have a closer relationship with horses than any other natural experience. We ride them, harness them, make them work for us, dance with them. We are at one with nature in this relationship, so it is interesting for me to investigate this.