Laura Sussman-Randall was raised in New Jersey where she enjoyed many artistic influences; the art history books and work of her mother, artist Mary Lou Sussman, access to a stong local center for the arts (The Visual Art Center of NJ, formerly the Summit Art Center),, and close proximity to the museums, galleries and art scene of New York City. She graduated University of Michigan in 1992 with a Bachelor’s of Fine Art and Bachelor’s of History of Art.
Relocating with her husband Mike Randall to Mint Hill, NC in 1995, she began working as a faux painter/muralist and ran her own business from 1996 until the birth of her son, Sam, in 2003.
Upon re-entering the studio in 2005, Ms. Sussman-Randall began her current body of work, a series of paintings and collages on fabric reflecting her studies in literature and history of art, interest in universal storytelling themes and feminist issues, and connection to nature.
In 2005 she also became involved with Mint Hill Arts, a newly formed non-profit arts organization. In 2007 she became its second president and is currently preparing to enter her third year in that position. A firm believer education and the positive impact of access to the arts, Ms. Sussman-Randall has been working with a steadily growing and committed membership to establish Mint Hill Arts as a full service Center for the Arts, and currently teaches classes for children at the center.
Ms. Sussman-Randall’s work is currently available for viewing at the Gallery at Mint Hill Arts.
Artist’s Statement
"As a student of fiber art and the daughter-grandaughter of a family of artists and crafters, I have spent the first portion of my artistic career attempting to marry a love for the tactile qualities of fiber with a desire to create detailed imagery.
In the past I have found the techniques of tapestry, embroidery, and quilting to be highly satisfying activities which unfortunately yielded results that were unsatisfactory to me in terms of the images themselves. I continue to explore ways to incorporate such techniques into my work.
In my current work I have used traditional painting techniques on unprimed, unstretched muslin. I use textile dye to lay down the sky and ground before working objects and figures in paint, ending with the foremost and most detailed objects. Recently I have begun to incorporate collage into the pieces.
The images themselves draw on multiple personal associations both artistic and literary. In the landscapes I try to communicate the wildness of wind and sky, the sound of rustling leaves, the still watchfulness of the moon. The figures represent and are acting out the universal themes of birth, death, motherhood, anxiety about aging, and man’s connection to nature."