Susan Feldman: Fragmentary Nature
Susan Feldman is a self-taught mixed media artist, creating wall art, sculpture, and installations. Her practice allows her the freedom to choose which medium best suits her vision. By incorporating older pieces into new creations, her work often appears as three-dimensional landscapes, evoking the stratified, fragmentary nature of history and memory. These all-over compositions take the eye through various planes and materials, which parallel the obstacles and stages of progress through that journey.
How did your creative journey begin?
For as long as I can remember, I always just “knew” I was an artist. In fact, as a kid, I always thought Everyone could draw and make stuff. It wasn’t until 3rd grade that I realized I had a different sort of ability/desire to create than other kids. At 8 years old the best thing my mother ever did was sign me up for art classes. Every Saturday, for 8 or 9 years, I would take oil painting classes with a family of artists and it was truly my happy place.
How has being self-taught shaped your artistic voice and approach?
The private instruction I received painting with oils during those formative years gave me a certain confidence in my ability. At my high school we had only one AP class and that was Studio Art. I took that class and only drew with pencil for the whole year, deepening my love for drawing. When it came time to apply to college, I really didn’t know what to do. I had no real family support and times were very different. At that time you had to declare your major before even enrolling. I wanted to be an art major, and I got accepted to UCLA and Cal State Northridge, but the Art Dept. at UCLA was full, and it was much more expensive, so I opted for CSUN. After about a year of having to take all beginning art classes, I got bored and ready to just go do my own thing. Remember this was Los Angeles in the mid seventies. Often if you were an artist then, (and especially a female), my experience was that if I already knew how to paint, draw, etc., I just had to go do it somewhere. Living in LA, I started applying to a lot of Film and Music Production companies for a job in their art departments. That led me to working at a record company, but not in art. I got very involved in the music business as a Production Coordinator, working with songwriters and demo recordings, (All while painting and drawing and making work “on the side”). This was a beautiful time for me, but after over 5 years, I realized that if I didn’t leave soon, my life would continue to move in the direction of music instead of making my own art. That’s when I opted to leave and devote myself full time to my own art making. That led me to begin working in the graphic design field. This was obviously before computers. I learned very easily how to do paste up and I got a job at a small Graphic Design Studio. It was fun and creative and after several years, I moved on to become an art director for an international flower magazine. Always still painting and drawing at my home studio. After having two kids, I took a studio outside my home and have been very fortunate to be able to make and show work for over 3 decades. The main thing I got from being self-taught is that I don’t follow any particular rules. I didn’t learn that much about the How or Why of making. I just go in the direction I feel I need to go.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
The time I spend in my studio has always been very sacred to me. For many years I’ve shared studios within spaces working around other artists, and I’ve always enjoyed the camaraderie. For the past 10 years I’ve been working out of Beacon Arts Building in Inglewood, CA. It’s a large building with about 4o other artists. I work as often as I can, whether I have an upcoming project or not. And there has always got to be Music! All kinds of music depending on my mood. Being an artist isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I couldn’t NOT make work. I always say “I breathe, I make art”.
What draws you to working across sculpture, installation, and mixed media?
I’m inspired by so many ideas that I usually go with whatever mode will allow me to express what I need to express in the best way, and whichever medium deems fit. Often there’s an overlap. I might begin with a painting that becomes part sculpture, part installation, and/or something else all together. One thing feeds into another. I love working with found wood because it’s so versatile and gives me a really good place to start. I also often reuse older pieces of mine, so they continue on in some other new way, shape, or form. I feel that FREEDOM to move within materials and I’ve been doing this kind of work for so long, I just trust in my process and go for it. Even I can surprise myself with what I come up with!
How has social media impacted your work?
I appreciate all the feedback and I love being able to see what other artists are doing out there. Although I’m driven to create whether or not other people get to see the work, it’s sometimes hard to resist making things just to keep up an Instagram presence. The internet has helped me get my work out there beyond Los Angeles. It’s so much easier now to submit to shows anywhere in the world and to expand my audience. Such a HUGE difference from back in the day of slides, portfolios, etc.
How does your background in music and design influence your art practice today?
OHHHH in sooo many ways! Music is something very alive for me. It vibrates deep within the recesses of my being. In addition to my background in the music business, I’ve been a Vinyl Only DJ for almost 20 years, and I am constantly reminded of how similar music and art are. The overlapping of materials is what I mostly relate to. Music has so many strands going thru it and I love to simulate that in my work. Also, my spiritual practice involves chanting and I often sing out loud whenever I feel the vibe. My design aesthetic is just ingrained in me as part of my practice. I often say I’m an analog artist because although I learned how to use the Mac at my job on the magazine, I still prefer many of the old design techniques done with my own hands. Another aspect I learned long ago when working with regards to deadlines is that I can always make something. I don’t have to wait for the feeling to come to me, I just know I have to do it and I will get it done. I CAN.
What role does intuition play when choosing materials for a piece?
I think there’s a lot to be said for having been an artist practically my whole life. I’ve developed a certain kind of TRUST within the
PROCESS. I constantly remind myself “I Know What I Know”, and part of this comes with age. Another big attribute to my work is that I need to be having fun. If I’m
not enjoying myself, what’s the point? As I move forward within my “Eldership”, I feel much more confident with my choices. After all, it’s MY practice. Of course I still get tripped up sometimes, but then I remember, “I’m a Master, I’ve put in my 10,000 hours, and I’ve Got This”.
Website: https://susanfeldmanart.com/home.html
Instagram: @susanfeldmanart
Published on October 19, 2025