Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Susan Salter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Susan, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
When I was in my school years, my family, due to my Father’s job in the oil industry, moved from Oklahoma to Texas, four times. From Elementary School to High School, I attended eight different schools. This made it very difficult to make and keep friends. But it also acclimated me to change. I grew to accept change as a normal way of life. Later in life, as I began working, I had many jobs ranging from restaurant waitress, bartender, airline stewardess, drafter for an interior design firm, chef, restaurant manager, school bus driver, theatrical actress and director, and associate pastor for a large evangelical denomination. It sounds incredible that one person would have so many occupations. Like I’m making this up just to sound interesting. But the truth of it is, I loved to try new things! I loved new experiences! I loved change!! I would move from one interest to another with ease because of my resilience. I always landed on my feet. Now in my later years, as a full time artist, I am never bored or frustrated with my art practice. I love to try new techniques and am always inspired by new ideas for my work. I look forward to the next new idea This keeps life fresh and exciting and worth living.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a contemplative encaustic artist. Contemplation is the practice of looking within. We were created to look within ourselves, each other and the world. Encaustic, which means to “burn in”, requires beeswax melted with damar resin, a tree sap. I love that these two elements are organic. Encaustic must be “fused” with heat or fire. This is a metaphor for my particular theology – that every being, every thing, is connected, fused together by a higher power. We are all one. There is an alchemy, or transformation that occurs when both contemplation and my encaustic work are fired by my imagination. My work has many layers, texture, shapes, symbols and hidden messages. I find it challenging to use shape and color to transmit what is in my soul. My art is inspired by natural and metaphysical sciences and the delicate balance between the earth and humanity.
‘The way of an artist is a meandering path.’ This statement is a definition of my life and art. I have ‘meandered’ through many lives and life experiences. I began my life as a creative and have remained so, learning to listen to my life. It certainly didn’t happen all at once. Becoming human is a process, sometimes a painful one. Trying to find myself through my art took me though many mediums. I found encaustic through reading a magazine article about two encaustic artists in the Houston area. Even in print, the texture and luminosity of their work was evident. Encaustic at the time was not a well know medium or practiced by many artists in my area. It was difficult to find instruction, but through perseverance and the internet, I found the teachers I needed. I am known for my abstract designs, many of which include lines of color mixed with the use of stencils and a process known by encaustic artists as a shellac burn. I believe what sets me apart from others is the use of many layers of wax, which adds a depth and interest to my paintings. I landed on encaustic because of my voracious appetite for mystery and the wax always surprises me. No matter how I try to manipulate it, the wax moves where it will move. This is a life metaphor for me. The universe will always surprise me as I meander on this journey through time, this sacred journey.
Art is my language. Encaustic is my words.
Art is my road map. Encaustic is my territory.
In October of this year, I will be having an exhibit of my art at the Houston Club on the 49th floor of One Shell Plaza, Houston. I together with 2 of my artist friends, Shirley Beyer and Brenda Bowman have entitled our show, 3×3 by Three. We will each be painting three 36×36 paintings. We each have very different styles and use different mediums, but there is a synergy, the power of THREE that has brought us together and continues to show that power by bringing other opporunties our way. In the Spring of 2024, another show has been scheduled for THREE at the Fort Bend History Museum, celebrating Women’s History Month. We are seeking other venues in which to exhibit our work together.
In September of this year, I will be teaching a class entitled Contemplative Collage. The class will consist of meditation, movement, poetry, readings, and collage. It will be held at the Fort Bend Art Center, Rosenberg, Texas. One, three hour class for three consecutive weeks will be $175. Registration for the class will be through the Art League of Fort Bend website: artleaguefortbend.com
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Do what gives you life. Show up.
Pay attention.
Tell the truth.
Don’t be attached to the outcome.
My greatest advice to anyone entering into any creative endeavor would be don’t give in to the pressure to be like everyone else. Be yourself. Letting other’s opinions of what you do, or who you are, is the soul killer. Create from your heart, your soul. You don’t have to say yes to everything that comes your way. You don’t have to say yes to every request that is made No is a complete sentence. Realize there is a higher power at work who wants you to succeed. Ask for help, and it will come.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The challenge I am facing right now is that I am not financially independant. I want to have enough money, of my own, without asking a spouse, to travel, attend an artist’s residency, rent a teaching facility, buy art supplies. I know it is very difficult for an artist to sell enough work to make the kind of money I’m seeking. I’m actively seeking other ways to make money using my artistic gifts. This could mean teaching, doing demos, workshops, or creating a space where other artists could come and display their art and have their own studio. This will also take a lot of attention to the business side of my art career. Promoting myself, involvement in more shows, developing a following.
Contact Info:
- Website: susansalterarts.com
- Instagram: slsalter96
- Facebook: slsalter96
