Meet Suzanne Schmaltz

"I hope you enjoy your journey through my work as much as I have enjoyed creating it. I am constantly inspired by the complex simplicity of nature – its colors, its textures, the flow of its lines, the hard edges of its geometry. It’s a wonder to behold and I am humbled by the desire to express my vision of it.” Suzanne

There has not been a time in Suzanne’s life that she has not been surrounded by art and involved in one form or another, including formal training in ceramics, wood, metal-work and painting/drawing. Self taught in basket weaving and all manner of beading, her current body of work is a result of that life-long participation in various mediums.

The thought of moving to Arizona never occurred to her but after having lived there for over twenty years, the thought of leaving is just as beyond her imagination. The landscape and the incredible variables of it inspire her on a daily basis. From the rugged mountains in west-central Arizona to the smooth plateaus of northern Arizona, it’s the landscape that is reflected in her work, no matter the medium. Likewise, the mark of her childhood home near the beach in Southern California is just as evident in her bird and ocean pictures. She is a creature of the south-west through and through.

Suzanne continues to work towards mastering each craft in her repertoire and is forever open to new art forms. She is passionate about each medium in its own right as well as combining them for the pure aesthetic surprise of it. For Suzanne, life is meant to be explored and cherished, as well as to be amazed by it!