About Me.

A self-taught artist, Susan recently retired from an academic career spanning 26 years to dedicate more time to her lifelong passion for art. As a former professor of Afrikaans literature with a research focus on ecocriticism, she has also published two solo poetry volumes and contributed poems to over thirty anthologies. Her interest in ecocriticism and eco poetry informs her belief in the interconnectedness of all things — in nature, in life, and across artistic disciplines.

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Her creative process is deeply intuitive, exploring the dialogue between words and visuals. To her, making art — shaping paper, mixing paint, drawing a line — is itself a form of poetry.

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In her latest series, created especially for Blooms & Brushstrokes, Susan explores the clean lines of vessels as anchors, paired with floral abstractions, bird and butterfly motifs, and other natural and man-made elements. These works reflect the way we surround ourselves with visual expressions in our homes — sometimes as focal points, sometimes as soft washes of colour that bring depth and calm.

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Vessels, for her, are symbols of containment, memory, and fragility. They hold beauty, both fleeting and eternal, and serve as silent witnesses to our lives — containers for our hopes, emotions, and relationships.

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Working in a muted colour palette with occasional accents of vibrant red — a visual “bloodline” that runs through the series — she builds her paintings in layers of acrylic, texture, and collage. Through this process of veiling and unveiling, she evokes subtle moods and unspoken feelings, creating pieces that invite reflection and a sense of serenity.