Suzanne Pease is an artist. The walls of her home are full of her paintings. She’s “tried” pottery, etching, quilting, woodworking, used to make her own clothes, and gardens with an awareness of “color matrix” indicating artful outcome. Suzanne takes “thousands” of photos when travelling. She designs for, and owns, Ampersand Graphics.
Seven years ago, given some beads in thanks for work on a client’s exhibit booth, she went to the bead store and bought additional pieces to make a necklace with the ones she’d been given. Though her gesture was merely meant to show an appreciation for the gift, Suzanne found herself falling in love with the beautiful stones. “Mother Nature creates such a beautiful array of colors and textures in the earth. She’s done the arduous work…taking millions of years to meld elements into formations with stunning patterns.” She bought books and experimented with techniques until developing her own style.
Beading at night after office hours, partially because the thin needle necessarily utilized will puncture her fingers, and partially so as to be uninterrupted, Suzanne has learned a craft that allows her to “create constructs of my own individual spirit.” She’s found lapidary sources to cut and polish the rough rocks. “It’s then my job to add to, rather than compete with this beauty and make the stone wearable art.” Admiring artists such as George Braque for his sense of color and pattern, the designer enjoys the challenge set by method, materials and abstract limitations.
In addition to the necklaces, collars and bracelets she creates, Suzanne has come up with an extremely innovative area of ornamentation: Boot Jewelry (opening photo). The decoration makes unique footwear out of boots in which we see our friends and neighbors; it personalizes. As Suzanne also works custom, boots can be completely iconoclastic.
Wearable Art Designs by Suzanne Pease, including Boot Gems, both sells off her the site and works custom. (She also participates in half a dozen shows each year.) It’s possible to pick the actual stones used or to bring (to New Jersey) or email a neckline image around which a piece can be developed.
Alternately, colors or style can be suggested. In the case of boots, an image of the footwear might be helpful. When the piece is complete, a photograph is sent so that the potential buyer can decide whether she wants to make the purchase. “I don’t want anyone to have a piece of wearable art they don’t love.” Suzanne’s jewelry runs $200.00 – $1200.00. Boot Gems are around $185.00
Achieving balance in life, Suzanne spends days “problem solving, laying out collateral materials so as to attract the eye and provide pertinent information” and evenings making creative choices based on her own taste, imagination, and self imposed parameters, (without marketing considerations)“creating art for myself.” And for us, of course.
