Welcome
I am a textile artist and surface designer based on Pender Island, British Columbia, where coastline, forest, and shifting light inform my approach to colour, texture, and form. I live and work on the traditional and unceded lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ and Tsawout peoples. My practice is process-led and materially rich, developing textile work intended for exhibition and installation.
My training includes the London City & Guilds programme in textiles and surface design, with further study at the Ontario College of Art and the Vancouver Island School of Art. For more than 30 years, my studio practice has centred on cloth and surface: dye and paint on fabric, wax resist, screen printing, and precisely sequenced dyeing methods that build tonal depth. This technical grounding supports cohesive bodies of work—wall-based textiles and dimensional forms—with attention to material integrity, scale, and installation considerations.
Rooted in my family’s needlework traditions, my work has evolved into an investigation of mark making, text, and narrative—often within a controlled palette and an abstract visual language. Layering is central: cloth, paper, and found materials accumulate into surfaces that hold both structure and trace. Recycled elements are frequently incorporated (painted, waxed, stitched, or cut), while hand stitching functions as line, rhythm, and anchor. Recent series focus on dimensional body and vessel forms—sculptural textiles that consider feminine attributes across a conceptual timeline from pre-birth to death.
Alongside my studio practice, I’ve written several books on textile techniques and surface design, and I teach textile workshops nationally and internationally. I welcome curatorial and gallery inquiries, and I’m happy to share current series, available works, exhibition history, and installation details on request. For updates on new work and exhibitions, you can join my newsletter at the link below or connect with me on social media.
My studio is located at Hope Bay in the main building but please note - I welcome visitors but I am not always in the studio during working hours. Call or text to arrange a visit
Phone: (250) 380-8496
email: susanpm@shaw.ca
Learn More More About Susan: https://www.susanpm.com/letstalkart/
Land Acknowledgment
We acknowledge that for thousands of years the Coast Salish, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Kwakwaka'wakw peoples have walked gently on the unceded territories where we now live, work, and play. We seek a new relationship with the first peoples here; one based in honour and respect.
