Suzie grew up in a family deeply involved in the arts in many different ways: her grandmother was a quilter and knitter, her great-grandfather a painter, her mother a seamstress, and her aunt a nature photographer. She and her siblings all work in design and visual art fields. Being constantly surrounded by people who were playing, making, and creating taught her to respect the many variables involved in both making and viewing art.
When she travels, Suzie always seeks out artists and sources of inspiration. She loves visiting art museums, festivals, workshops, nature destinations, and unusual places where art is made, remote islands, mountain villages, and hidden studios. She never knows what she will encounter that might spark a new idea into motion.
Path into Teaching
When Suzie first started teaching, she had been working a few other jobs before agreeing to take a maternity cover for a high school friend who was the art teacher in a neighbouring town. The position was part-time, just one day a week for a couple of hours, with a tiny art budget, and she was essentially working out of her car. The school was a one-room schoolhouse with four grade levels (Grades 1–4) and a separate town hall space for Pre-K, each with only one or a few children. There were definitely challenges, but the experience taught her how to adapt quickly and helped her build confidence working with young artists. She now looks back on those early days with fondness, appreciating how far she has come and where she is now.
Creative & Personal Inspirations
One artist who has significantly influenced Suzie’s creative life while living abroad is Jeremy Collins, an American artist, storyteller, activist, and adventure seeker. His drawing style has shaped the way she perceives landscapes and value, and his thought-provoking, risk-taking approach to making art resonates with her own love of the outdoors. She almost never travels without her sketchbook, pens, and travel water-colours, there is rarely a trip where she does not stop to capture a moment on paper.
Another person who continually motivates her is Rich Roll. Through major setbacks earlier in his life, he reinvented himself as an author, ultramarathon runner, health enthusiast, and podcaster. Suzie has spent many hours listening to his conversations with doctors, scientists, authors, runners, and extreme athletes. These discussions go straight to the heart of living a full, intentional life and encourage her to reflect on how she cares for her body, mind, and spirit.
Life in Motion & Love for Ceramics
Suzie is very active and feels better mentally and physically when she can use her body to hike, run, and play team sports. Morning runs help her organize her thoughts and prepare for the school day. She has run three half marathons and six full marathons and is looking forward to attempting an ultramarathon in the near future.
In the evenings, she makes time for drawing or reading to help her wind down. Her true passion is ceramics, and she is excited to make full use of the school’s ceramics room, both as a working artist and as a space where students can explore, experiment, and discover their own creative voices.
