Susan Brooks is a talented fiber artist with a profound connection to textiles. Comfort and healing are at the heart of her work. She has a passion for conveying intricate stories, particularly those of marginalized women, through textiles, demonstrating her dedication to amplifying the voices of women longing to be seen and heard.
Why textiles? How does that medium best express what you want to communicate through your art?
Textiles, including quilted fabrics, represent our protection system. They cover us from the elements, keeping us warm and dry.
We use them to create tents to live in and adorn our bodies with glorious clothing. What could make a better artistic medium to convey difficult concepts with such safe and soft materials.
As much as I love photography and painting, we can’t wrap it around ourselves for comfort. I have witnessed people bury their faces in my art.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.
“Healing Winds” is hanging in the Parker Adventist Cancer Center. The piece was created to elicit peace and be the size of a lap quilt – 7 ft by 4 ft I wanted to allow the patients to feel the comfort of being wrapped in a quilt while going into radiation therapy.
What different creative media and techniques do you use in your work?
I use fabric and paper to tell the stories of marginalized women, as well as my own story of forgiveness and healing.
As women, we all long to be seen and heard, which brings about healing and breaking the walls of our misconceptions of who we are.
I volunteered in a women’s prison for over seven years and am currently back in the prison as a visitor. I’ve discovered the women to be just like the women on the outside – wives, mothers and daughters longing to be touched, seen and loved.
Where do you find your inspiration for your designs?
As Bryan Stevenson, from the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy says – the answer to social problems is to put ourself into “closer proximity”. To listen to hearts and life journeys.
I attempt to truly listen without imparting my own experiences – trying not to say – “I get it”, but honestly saying – “I can’t imagine what you have experienced” and allowing them to share as much as they feel comfortable. Their stories are unique and I’m honored that they chose to share their emotions.
Describe your creative space.
One evening in prison, Daisy came in, sat down next to me and I could sense something was wrong. Daisy asked if she could tell us her story of childhood abuse and her deep anger.
After being put into “solitary confinement”, with paper clothing that she ripped off, she spent hours throwing a bible against the wall screaming – “why does everyone hate me? Why can’t someone love- me?” Daisy fell to the floor, naked, with the Bible opened to John chapter 15 where the words of Jesus were saying to not be surprised that we are hated when He was hated first.
Daisy said her life changed at that moment. She went on to tell of her hope of Jesus coming in a helicopter, hovering over the prison courtyard, inviting everyone to dress in gowns and tiaras – to become His daughters and be loved. Daisy’s face changed from despair to joy and the final piece in my Prison series “Freedom” is what I saw!
Many times these stories stay with me for years until I can’t let them go. Many times I have dreams. Then I know I’m truly ready for their stories to flow through my creations. (See Big Magic, By Elizabeth Gilbert and the amazing story she tells of being outside herself and ideas flowing through her.)
Do you use a sketchbook or journal? How does that help your work develop?
When starting a new project, I go through a mental process, sometimes writing it down and usually making rough sketches.
When I think about these women and their lives, I ask – what color do I see? What words, sounds, object, shapes arise? How do these things intersect and connect. I read poetry, other stories, meet with experts, like an attorney working with judges across the United States to educate them on sentencing women who are being trafficked. I’m careful not to allow myself to get into a box forcing a design, but allow the design to flow. “At the moment we see something beautiful, we undergo a radical decentering. Beauty, according to Weil, requires us ‘to give up our imaginary position as the center’”. Elaine Scarry -On Beauty, page 111 – Weil, “Love of the Order of the World,” in Waiting for God, 159.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
Exploring my color palette, I start making samples using procion dyes, paints and botanical prints. I create a stash of immersion dyes, deconstruct images, monoprints and soy wax resist fabrics. Always using my emotions, colors and images to direct the work.
The piece – “Little Bird” from Chara DeWolf’s poetry Rush Of Water, asks the question of young love, is it the flight to freedom or the cage that entraps us? “Little Bird” was created with images of the little bird, the cage and eggs symbolizing new life.
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
Can I give justice and beauty to the emotions of the story? One of my biggest set backs is what I call – twisting the arm of my fabrics.
I can get caught up in the story and how I want to tell it rather than letting the story flow through me. I need to step out of the way, sometimes taking weeks of walking away and then reentering my studio with fresh eyes.
I like to go in at night and examine the piece in relative darkness; judging the values of light and dark that create the atmosphere and mood. Will a monochromatic piece best express the story?
How does your environment influence your creativity?
My own dramatic healing came as I thought I was making a piece to express my aging process. I gathered my sample of vintage hankies, doilies, pillow case, linens, lace and sat with my father-in-law after his stroke. He slept and I stitched.
One day, I looked down at all these pieces I was reconstructing and realized all the vintage fabrics had come from my husband’s family, his mother, his grandmothers. “Wait a minute – I don’t have any family heirlooms from my mother”.
I heard a very still, small voice say “That’s because she didn’t have anything to give you”. The tears flowed. Forgiveness overcame the wounded little girl whose mother couldn’t give what she didn’t have. The piece became – “My Mother’s Memories, She Had None”.
The series and my healing, continued with “Mended Memories” – the mending of a 150-200 year old Japanese Ikat weaving and “Memories”– the hand stitched piece using botanical printed raw silk, organza and wool pieces lovingly stitched together to celebrate life. It was a 6 year process to work through the beauty of life – both mine and my mothers.
Learn more about Susan and her work on her website.
Interview posted October 2023
Browse through more art quilt projects and inspiration on Create Whimsy.