Artist Statement

Throughout my life I have attempted to take the ideas and concepts in my head and reproduce them in as many forms as I can. Whether it be through animation, life drawing or character designs, illustrations, plush design, beading and jewelry making. I have always felt the need to create and be creative.

My approach as a texture artist is to design using traditional methods, take that design and turn it into a pattern and then to produce a plush representation of that original design. As a line is the start of every design, it is carried thru into the 3D realization. Every creature sports its lines on the outside, not hidden and turned under.

I love to play with colour, so the lines contrast the body and allow for greater combinations of colours. My beadwork follows the same path, pulling inspiration from the cabochons I work with; stones, fossils, glass & lampwork. Each piece I bead is OOAK and hand-stitched with care.

My main aim is to instill a sense of playfulness and whimsey in my finished works that will appeal to all, both young and old.

Biography

Susan Pfeiffer has spent a large portion of her 50+ years living in the wilds of Canada (Nova Scotia). Born A-BROAD in Nassau, Bahamas Susan's family moved to Nova Scotia when she was 5 (after a two year stop-over in Ottawa).

- Insert somewhat uneventful, not worth mentioning childhood here interspersed with Summer Vacations in Cape Breton.-

Upon graduating from high school, Susan elected to follow the Artist path walked previously by her Painter Grandfather, Gordon Pfeiffer and attended Mt. Allison University, soaking up skills in the BFA program. Deciding not to be just a 'Fine Artist' she then obtained her Certificate in Costume Studies at Dalhousie University. Her 1st year project, an 1864 Victorian Ball gown was purchased by the Government, for Confederation Centre in PEI, where it still resides. Susan then took off to Upper Canada and Sheridan College’s “International Summer School of Animation”. Here, as well as receiving her Diploma in Classical Animation she met a lot of interesting students from all over the world.

One of those students told her of an golden opportunity in the land of Texas ... and off she went. She spent the next three years living in Austin and working on a variety of projects at the Heart of Texas Animation Studio, including Space Jam, King of the Hill, Land Before Time V and Franchesco’s Friendly World.

Susan returned to Canada where she worked briefly in Vancouver (beau-ooo-t-full) on a few freelance projects. She returned to Nova Scotia and promptly moved to Miramichi, New Brunswick where she became the Drawing & Design Instructor at NBCC Miramichi’s fledgling Animation Program. The two terms there went by fast and over the summer she stayed busy working as a Production Manager on two ink & paint projects. September 1998 saw her moving back to Halifax to teach at McKenzie College for a year.

In the summer of 1999 the animation industry clawed her back, in the form of Helix Animation Studios, in Halifax. There you could find her busy posing out scenes on such projects as King: Season 1, Mole Sisters: Season 1, Toad Patrol: Season 2, Robo Roach, Undergrads, Street Kids International; Speed’s Choice, For Better or For Worse, Freaky Stories, Pirates, Children of Chelm, Rainbow Fish, Watership Down: Season 1 & 2 and The Oblongs.

The studio closed up shop and Susan was in limbo until she joined the staff at the Centre for Arts and Technology, Halifax, Nova Scotia. She worked during the three years there as, Life Drawing Instructor, Animation Instructor and lecturer for Foundation Art & Design. She was the Animation director on a Student led Flash Animation project, ‘Misfit high’ that was created for Eastlink TV together with the students. On the 13 two minute episodes, she maintained show style continuity, designed most of the supporting characters and props and pumped out massive quantities of Flash character build.

Moving on ...

You can currently locate Suie, when not distracted by her day job, making mayhem out of her home and BedlamCats Studio/Gallery on the French Shore of Nova Scotia; occasionally herding cats and a husband.