Susie Strauss - Fiber Artist
"My love of working with fiber and creating with my hands started at a very young age with potholder weaving, spool knitting, and lanyard braiding. After being an avid knitter for many years, I realized that my eye and interest were consistently being drawn to the art of weaving.
"From a visit at to a historical village in Ohio and sitting at their demonstration rug loom and getting lost in the movements of the shuttle, the treadles, and the harnesses to a week long back strap weaving class in Guatemala, learning under a tree with indigenous weaver – I became enthralled and longed for more lessons and more time on a loom – any loom.
"My first formal weaving class was in 2005 at the John C. Campbell School in NC. During the class, I kept asking myself if I loved weaving and all it entails. As I kept working and working, while not really knowing all of what I was doing- the answer kept being YES, I DO!
"Since then, I have been drawn to continued learning and exposure to different types of weaving. From North Carolina, to the Andean mountains of Peru, to the villages of Guatemala and India, the colors and the fibers and the techniques serve as a magnet for my eye and hands. I see weaving as being a multi-faceted process based on the science and math of the interaction of colors and fibers to the art of the visual images and desired outcome.
"I continue identify and build on the aspects of weaving that truly excite me - the weave structures, the interplay of color, and the elements of good design. I find myself ‘painting’ with the different yarn fibers and colors to create functional art objects. These take the forms of scarves, shawls, placemats, and dish and tea towels; as I believe in being surrounded by beautiful handcrafted items in all aspects of one’s life.
"And so now I walk around daily and see the world through the eyes of a weaver and ask myself - what elements, images, and playfulness I can bring back to my loom?"