Spotlight Member Section featuring Susan Stevens
- Details
- Category: News
- Published: Sun. Jan 6, 2019
The Spotlight Member Section is meant to get to know each other.
Q: Can you tell me a little about yourself?
A: I am an Omaha native, born at Offutt Air Force Base hospital and have lived in Omaha all but 6 months of my life. Pretty rare for a military brat! I was blessed with two daughters during my first marriage. I married Ed and his two children in 2001. I have worked for Union Pacific for 28 years: I started as a print designer and moved into web design at the first opportunity.
Q: How long have you been a member of OAI and how did you learn of our organization?
A: I've been a member of Omaha Artists Inc. since 2012. I learned about the group from my massage therapist, Carol Radke. I had given her a colored pencil drawing that she put up in her waiting room. Sharon Clawson saw it and told Carol that I should look into joining the group. Not feeling very confident I had the talent to join an art group, it took about a year of coaxing on Carol's part to get me to join. I'm so glad I did!
Q: Tell us your story of how you got involved in art.
A: My earliest memories of art are sitting with my brother and a box of crayons and a huge piece of blank newsprint paper rolled out in front of us. Thanks to our grandfather who worked for a newspaper, we always had a huge end roll of paper off the press available. I took art classes in high school and went on to take commercial art classes in college. I switched over to graphic design before graduating. I didn't venture into using watercolors until 2012. Before that I worked primarily with graphite and colored pencil. I took a long break from doing artwork while raising my girls. I picked up my colored pencils again in 2010 and it felt great. Being a part of Omaha Artists has been a great motivator to keep it going.
Q: What positions have you held with OAI?
A: I started with offering to help with the website and accepted taking it on when asked. Shortly after I was approached about becoming the Vice President and decided it would be a good way to get to know the group better. I was right. It has been a very rewarding experience. I currently manage the website, co-chair the membership committee and handle email communications.
Q: Tell us something about you that most people do not know about you?
A: My daughter Rachel passed away six years ago. She was the biggest fan and cheerleader of my art. It was important to her that I share my work and not keep it to myself. A comment she posted on the Facebook page she set up for my work – “You’ve got this Mom!” – is taped just above the back edge of my art table to remind me that I need to believe in myself so I can make art to honor her.
Q: What are your other interests/hobbies?
A: My other hobbies are photography and gardening. My favorites: colors are a yellow peach and coral; food is pretty much anything Italian; book is "The Stand" by Stephen King; movie "The Guardians of the Galaxy”
... and now we know a little bit more about Susan Stevens.
