suz interviews herself...

i thought for fun i would answer the interview questions posed to the artists we will feature on the blog in the very near future. it only seems fair, and though i am not an artist per se, there is art all around me everyday and buying, arranging and encouraging it to go out the door has become my "creative outlet" and passion.

#1 what was your first job, and how did you end up with a retail career?

my very first job was taking polaroid pictures of willing shoppers at k-mart (the one here in cville). this would have been around the summer of 79' or 80' (fuzzy memory, wonder why?) actually, it was fun. polaroid cameras were making their debut, i think, at least in a k-mart kind of way, and people were eating them up. also, who can resist a 14 year old with wings and highwaters? i don't remember what i got paid, but the minimum wage was under $2.90 an hour and i was 14, you do the math. anyhoo, i am not sure if that summer job could be solely responsible for my career of retail shop owner, but it was responsible for my ongoing love affair with the big k!!!!

#2 what is your fav piece/group/series of your work?

well, while i have no tangible "work." humor me when i say the GOODS store i have now is my best "work" ever. with this shop, i am focused and proud, having worked hard enough to afford myself the chance to raise my son redford the way i want to. i love what i do and am now missing it but enjoying where i am in my life, knowing this is exactly as it was meant to be. i will be back in work mode in full force soon enough. for now, the gals of o'suz are holding down the fort in a way that is ever so valuable to me and to our customers. i can only say the words THANK YOU here, it's not enough but they know how much i adore them.

#3 what or who inspires you?

hmm? as far as the store is concerned, if i consider that my craft in this context, i draw inspiration from the artists and product i sell. there is such a plethora of talent out there, it astounds me daily. i am currently scheming to have a much much larger space in which to house even more of this talent, but first things first! i am also inspired by my staff (insert another chance to give them the praise they deserve here).

they live their lives with such fervor and commitment. they also make living through their 20's look good to me which is no small task. they are individuals in every way, living their days with a genuine perspective that can only be called inspiring. as for other "who" inspirations, but along the same lines, as i am so corny, i would say my husband (i call him daddy now) and my loving grandmother, we called her granny. i also love the poems and essays of mary oliver and billy collins and the full body of work of robert redford.

#4 what is your ideal sunday morning?

my ideal sunday begins by waking up to the men in my life and our dog, g. (g stands for girl.)



and a cup of coffee made by my loving husband. he takes pity on me and brings it straight away to our bedroom before i have a chance to realize i am sleep deprived. from there, it could go just about anywhere as i love sundays best. we might watch a movie in 15 minute intervals on low volume missing much of the dialogue but loving it just the same. (redford is four months.)



insert more coffee here, cold is fine, just more. we might take red for a walk in the mountain buggy on our property followed by breakfast which most always includes eggs and cheese for me and faux sausage, and yes, more coffee. ideally the afternoon would involve nap (s) and or more coffee. you get the idea. no real agenda is the way i like it. having a baby lends you to surprises at every turn so one never knows about any given day really.....

#5 what do you see outside your studio (office) windows?

my office at home is located on the west side of our addition, built last year in anticipation of our son's birth. it is also located conveniently right outside red's room for when he is a wee bit older and sleeps and plays in there. it has 2 windows, one looks out at the pear tree for which the farm is named, the other, at our driveway and the lovely old boxwoods that hide the parking area. i am only now using it and loving as it was completed right before the mini man was born. it is the only room that screams female in our home, housing a floral chaise lounge and my favorite local art. (note to self to maybe take pics of tree, boxwoods, chaise and art)

thanks for reading, stay tuned for may's true launch of "love it" where we will post an interview with artist beth mueller!