Susan poses with a few of her whimsical clay sculptures she shaped by hand.
"BECOMING AN ARTIST IS A JOURNEY..."
The very talented Susan Borghesi – sculptress and jewelry maker -- credits her parents for giving her the creative genes she puts to good use each day. From her dad -- the joy of working with one’s hands; and from her mom – a flair for art.
“That’s the beauty of getting older,” she reflects. “You can look back and see how you got to where you are. Being an artist is a journey.”
Over her years of creating art, she has enjoyed working in a wide array of mediums including painting, stained glass, and even sculptural cement work. However, her preference today is working with the clay medium – stoneware and porcelain.
Using the kilns and sharing the resources as a resident artist at ClaySpace Ceramic Arts Center at 740 Front Street in Lisle has been a boon to her sculpting career particularly since owning one’s own kiln can be cost prohibitive. She’s been affiliated with this non-profit cooperative for almost a decade participating in classes, shows, and selling her work.
She notes that her pivotal moment as an artist arrived while taking a class in working with clay by hand. “It was just such an organic experience and made perfect sense to me,” she said. “I always liked getting my hands in the dirt ever since I was a child playing in the prairies surrounding my childhood home.”
Susan adds that working at a pottery wheel may be faster, but nothing beats the tactile fun of doing it all by hand. Her creative process is then fueled by her love of nature and following wherever her imagination leads her.
When making jewelry, she also employs a sculptural approach by bending and hammering copper sheets or wire into intriguing shapes and sizes. See photos below.
Finishing touches to all her projects often include sculpted faces, colorful beads, and other whimsy that define her work in a way that captivates the eye.
Susan completed her art education at the University of Wisconsin Madison and North Central College in Naperville, IL where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree.
Email Susan at: agardenrose@wowway.com
Her Etsy Shop is: https://www.etsy.com/people/agardenrose
Buddha Plate -- $18.00
Spring: Love, Beauty, Rebirth --.$125
Princess Birdie table art -- $24
Lily of the Valley wall tile -- $18
Copper earrings -- $30
Copper wire pendants...$30 EACH
Copper earrings -- $30
