Artist Profile Series: Susan Brubaker Knapp

Susan Brubaker Knapp
Mooresville, North Carolina

1. What is sitting on the edges of your work table? A new piece based on the marsh at Bald Head Island, which has been a beloved family vacation spot for about 16 years. It was severely flooded by hurricane Florence, and at the time I’m writing this (11 days after the storm hit), power has not yet been restored, and the water is still 3 feet deep in places. I’m working on it as a form of meditation or prayer that this beautiful place has not suffered too much ecological damage. 

2. If someone looked beneath the surface, what could be revealed that we might not know about you? I’m an introvert. I just disguise myself well. 

3. What occupies the space between your sewing machine and your cutting table? A rug, currently covered with scraps of fabric and thread. When work is in progress in my studio, it’s usually a mess. 

4. What is the most exquisite moment in your artistic life? I was thrilled to find out that my small piece, “The Bluest Eye,” was appearing in Quilting Arts magazine in 2007. It was a moment that made me feel validated as an artist, and like I was on the right path. 

5. Do you have daily rituals in your studio? Tea. Classical music. Turning on the heat lamp for the cat.  

6. Reflecting on the quilts that you have made, which one stands out to you? My favorite piece is “I See the Moon,” which I made for the “Rituals” Dinner at Eight exhibition. I think it has a lot of my soul in it. 

7. What do you have an affinity for in your work? Botanical and zoological subjects. 

8. What kinds of patterns do you use in your work to create interest and texture? I actually don’t think that much about pattern. I am very color-driven. 

9. What personal iconography is identifiable to you exclusively in your work? I’m not sure I have any; the subject of my art quilts vary from piece to piece. 

10. What was your inspiration for the Best of Dinner at Eight? I was inspired to create my piece by the discovery of a spectacular Polyphemus Moth. I’ve always thought that moths were unfairly over-shadowed by their Lepidoptera cousins, butterflies.