Artist Bio

Suzanne C. Thomas is a mixed media artist and painter. Suzanne received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Oklahoma State University and her Master of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. After spending some time in the “9 to 5” world, Suzanne decided to pursue her passion – art. Suzanne is a tenured professor of art at Rose State College, where is she also the director of the Honors program. Suzanne also stays very active in the local and state art community. Suzanne has exhibited her art in the IAO Gallery, Owens Art Space, Living Arts Space in Tulsa, the African American Museum in Wichita, Kansas, and the Gaylord – Pickens Heritage Center, and has had her work published in local periodicals.

“I am a born and bred Oklahoman,” she says. “Raised in eastern Oklahoma County, the youngest of five children, we were all encouraged to explore and identify our creative voices. I discovered at an early age that I liked to draw, paint, and daydream. As is the way for most artists, I worked in other vocations, but after a while I knew that I was truly called to be an artist and a teacher. Therefore, I took a leap of faith, quit my job, and delved completely into art full-time, creating, exhibiting, and teaching art. I have not regretted one minute of this ride. When you are doing what you love, it is amazing how easily you find contentment.

Piece Description

“This piece is the largest (so far) layered embroidery piece I have worked on,” she says. “Instead of traditional embroidery thread, I decided to use a thicker, more textured thread for both the AAA valve and the pattern underneath. The pattern in the valve is inspired from the Kuba cloth from Central Africa (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). In addition, the pattern beneath is from traditional patterns found in West African cloth. The shapes of the tatted motifs represent the mechanics of the valve, as well contrast the textures and patterns of the overall piece.”