I enter a room scattered with severed body parts;
This is not the lair of the next "Green River Killer", but the studio of an extraordinary artist and doll maker: Sue Yotz.
I spent the afternoon with Sue in her self-designed two story home on the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. Time passes swiftly with her, whose sense of humor and intelligence paints a story in your mind as easily as she sculpts the knobby knees of her dolls.Her stories are equally rife with artistic observations, her children and grandchildren, and politics. When asked, she admits that "success", to her, is a concept to strive for that constantly evolves and is never achieved. Yet it is hard to believe that this women hasn't achieved success as I bask in the joyful sounds of the river and her laughter.
This laughter is evident in the dolls she creates.
To be clear, she does not create barbie dolls or toys for children. Her creations are sculpted stories frozen in time; like that one photograph of you in mid-conversation with your mouth agape and honesty in your eyes. These stories are reflected in the titles of her work.
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| Watch My Hat, Said The Trickster by Sue Yotz |
It is clear that Sue approaches her work with a sense of humor and problem solving: how to make a hand, how to make the body structurally sound, how to accurately portray the hood of a cobra. As committed as she is to discipline (she works every day until 1pm), she also recognizes a need to "play and be silly". She brings a graciousness and humanity to her work through a balance of skill and discipline, playfulness and imagination.
How It All Began
"The word that is the most important is "time". Time to do the work, time to build up the skills - years and years and years."
Doll-making has been her focus for over twenty years, after her sister, Billee, told her: "You can do this, you should try it." She worked all night on her first project, a dragon, and called Billee the next day with her victory.
Sue has created art all her life: "Children naturally draw, I just never stopped." Around the age of seven, she became captivated by The Bridge In Monet's Garden and also discovered how to draw roses. She sketched her own renditions of this painting dozens of times, many of which were sent her her father overseas during World War II.
Although she eventually took some art classes, Sue maintains that she never actually learned in an art class, with the exception of learning how to make hands. "You keep getting better and better as you keep solving problems. It doesn't happen overnight." It is evident in viewing her work that each doll is the culmination of a lifetime of interests: "Architecture, art history, painting... all of it comes into doll making."
Details Are "Filtered IN" Instead Of Filtered Out
With a lifetime of observation and appreciation, Sue perceives details that many people pass by unaware:
"You notice, for example, how the light falls or how some aspects seem dull or metallic, because you never know when you're going to need to paint it. You notice more details, textures..."
Her perceptions filter into our conversation with organic ease. I am no longer sitting on her deck beside her but transported into the original art gallery of nature: the bright winter moss poking out between stepping stones and the manner in which a particular deck board is rotting suddenly become complete and utterly fascinating worlds.
The Artist As Entrepreneur
"We are in a new world. Being able to express yourself and have yourself listened to is showing up in so many ways."
From her beautifully designed surroundings to her vast array of knowledge, Sue demonstrates how an artist is very much an entrepreneur. Like an entrepreneur, the artist evolves through many mediums and forms of expression, and the culmination of experience makes each new endeavor as unique and refined as the artist herself.
"Most people I know who are artists have done a lot- it's a lifetime study."
There is no "turning off" the inquisitive observations and deep appreciation for the opportunities that an artist has to explore the world around her.
Then comes the inevitable question about her relationship with money, finance and how to make a living.
There is hesitation for the first time in the conversation, while she gathers herself to address a topic she would just as soon leave alone. Her view on money is to address bills and financial obligations immediately so that they don't become an all-consuming worry. This tactic allows her to stay focused on her work.
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| Sour But It's Better With Gin |
She has joyfully given away her work to family and friends, but she does not actively advertise outside of local art shows, and she does not have a website. She is clear about the price for her work but has not yet bridged the gap between defining it and promoting it. Don't expect to pay a couple hundred dollars for these exquisite one-of-a-kind dolls. In the eye of a professional (or even an appreciator such as myself), there is no doubt that these painstakingly hand-sculpted, hand-painted, and hand-sewn pieces are worth hundreds to thousands of dollars each.
"A Lot Of Making A Doll Is Thinking About It"
"Many who know Sue will attest that a conversation with her is rarely as direct and succinct as planned. I asked only a few questions during my afternoon with her and yet we seamlessly transitioned from discussing artists, to family, to nature, to politics. The afternoon rapidly became evening, and I made to leave. Yet standing in the foyer with my notepad packed and shoes tied, we still had more to say.
Do not expect to be given a road map when entering into a conversation with this well-read, opinionated and fascinating woman; relax and enjoy where the road takes you.
"Really, it all comes down to the fact," she jokes with a mischievous twinkle in her gray-blue eyes, "I love the smell of turpentine."
For More Information:
View her work at:
Art In The Valley
Available By Appointment