My studio space is surrounded by windows and glass doors that open into a secluded landscape of trees, shrubs, and blooming flowers; birds, rabbits, foxes, and families of deer come and go. A handmade walnut table sits in the middle of the room where Rocky and I have breakfast together every morning. We read the news, check out the view, and plan our day. Then Rocky takes his coffee and paper to his favorite chair, and I head over to my corner of the world,  plug in my glue gun, grab the paints, and get to work.

Art books are piled high, and tabletops are lined with  dolls watercolors, pastels, and items waiting to be finished and repaired. Boxes, drawers, and trays are filled with crafting tools, decorative papers, beads, buttons, jewelry, tapes, and twine. I use found objects for doll bases and adorn them with whatever items are within arm’s reach. I glue, unglue, or steal a head, hat, and earring from one doll and transfer to another.

Artists’ abstract interpretations of the human body or face draw me in - Modigliani’s elongated portraits of women, Paul Klee’s simple use of colors and shapes, Picasso’s flat geometric forms, and the whimsical figures found in folk and outsider art. Anything by artist Aminah Robinson awes me - her beaded dolls and button books and how she portrays people using layers of fabrics and men’s ties, like this piece  that hangs in my studio.

My favorite embellishments are the personal ones - a piece of friend’s jewelry, something my Mom wore, or a military pin of Rocky’s. After I discovered my Mom’s red stickpin tucked deep inside a drawer, I decided it would look better on a doll where I could see it every day. I turned the pin upside down and glued it behind the lady’s white hat below. The figure’s silver hat on the right came from a friend’s gift bag of costume jewelry. The rope necklace happened by accident when I twirled a piece of twine around my little finger. Meet Classy and Sassy.

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The figures below come from my Fornasetti Collection.  The paper faces were cut from a brochure advertising a series of plates designed by artist Piero Fornasetti. I glued the images onto birch rounds and added beads and paper.

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I’m inspired by African culture and how artists simplify or exaggerate body proportions. The vivid colors and patterns found in African fabrics are exquisite - and all those wonderful artifacts, carvings, totems, beaded dolls, jewelry, decorative papers, buttons, and beads. I collect it all.

Occasionally, I know when to stop and say, “Don’t add another thing!” Art critic Ada Louis Huxtable’s definition of embellish resonates, “Embellishment is an irresistible and consuming impulse, going back to the beginning of human history; probably the strongest motivating force is the simplest - the inability of almost everyone to ever leave well enough alone.” I found these items in an antique shop and was told they’re either old weaving-loom parts or African totems. Regardless, I brought them home, covered them with beads and handmade jewelry, and just kept on going.

Bobby and I  collaborated on a large artwork for a Hilton hotel that opened in 2022. We began by photographing architectural structures around Columbus and merged them into one long collage of buildings. We methodically integrated images from my doll collection into windows and doorways. Also included are pieces from my collection by artists Elijah Pierce, Tamara Jaeger, Aminah Robinson, and designer Piero Fornasetti. The final image measures 15 feet by 5 feet and is adhered to plexiglass.

After photographing a friend's wedding dress, Bobby  digitally placed it on a dry-cleaning hanger and faded it into the pillars below - a touch of Magritte! If you look closely, Sarah’s dog Buda can be seen peeking through the columns on the right. Ohio’s red cardinal, OSU’s stadium entrance, the Short North Arches, an African figure, and an embellished Buddha head can be seen in this detail.

My website, susansaxbe.com, documents some of these handmade figures, works on paper, and photo illusions. You'll also find a link to my memoir, "The Hippie & The Marine."

Below are some recent works on paper: