Page 11 - KOG Glory & Grace Issue 6 June 2022

Joy
About 10 years ago, Susan felt the urge to “do something totally new” to combat her experience of depression. Sculpting was “totally out of my wheelhouse” - she had a Business Marketing degree - but she stumbled upon a Welding class offered by the Career Center in Billings. The class provided the equipment and materials, so off she went.
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and
in unlikely places.
Susan's "Warrior Woman"
As she’s grown in her artistry, Susan explains that the creative work of sculpting has provided a way for her to discover and own her own story. She admits her story, is, for some, hard to hear. As a teen, Susan was molested and raped by a family member and later assaulted by an educator she trusted. Sculpting has taught her “it’s ok to be who you are. As I sculpt I find that all the women inside me, are coming out... a sun goddess, or a warrior woman, or a ballerina." Though many viewers “want to know the story” behind a piece of art, Susan confesses, "sometimes even I don’t know the story when I am making it!” Using materials from the ranches of family or friends, Susan acknowledges that each sculpture is so different, but “everything I do has an element of spirituality, faith, trust, or a higher Spirit.”
Key to Susan’s artistry is her willingness to experiment and have fun. Using metals and wire and beads, it’s a positive and exciting process to figure out why something speaks to her. “I get these ideas in my head, but I need to touch the metal. If it doesn’t speak to me, I put it down.” Some sculptures she has gifted to friends, but many she keeps to remind herself of her journey and who she is becoming.
A mess or pile of possibilities?
A collection of old tools, iron pieces, used nails and used farm implements fill a box in Susan's garage.
Susan Plath, Sculpter