Suzanne Ens

Working primarily with regenerated textiles, my art has many influences. Fairy tales, ethnic folk craft, and puppet theatre all echo in my work. But the earliest - and strongest - influence was the Victorian crazy quilt from my paternal grandmother Mary. At 6 years old I was entranced by the various exotic stitchery, the stiff and scratchy crinolines and upholstery velvets in their broody, earthy hues. Already I knew that memories lay within that landscape's folds, delivering an emotional richness from its layers. I believe this is what I strive for in everything I create. An art festival judge once remarked to me that my work is both raw and fresh, with an edge that is undefined and indefinite. Sometimes soft and at other times ragged. Most of what I make comes unbidden although not unplanned. But the idea comes flying in, felt more than seen, and I am compelled to gather my materials of worn and cast off garments and begin the lengthy making process. And athough the process is indeed lengthy, it never becomes tedious. The words of Nancy Zieman (of the long-running PBS series Sewing With Nancy) echo in my head: "Enjoy the process." It is a fitting mantra for me given that all my work is hand stitched. And I find a peace in the act of its making.

Suzanne was a teenage single mother who returned to school in her mid-30s to earn a BA in Distributed Studies from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, with a focus on literature and communication. She then pursued post-graduate work in literary criticism at the University of West Florida, while also attending classes and workshops in the Fine Arts program at Pensacola State College. After traveling the art show circuit for 15 years, she settled in Silver City, NM, where she now lives and creates.

3-D, Fiber Arts