Susan builds art niche with rare talent
AFTER her graduation last November, Susan Raymond wasted no time in going into becoming a freelance artist, specializing in portraitures.
And since then, with her remarkable talent in drawing and painting, she had roused the art scene by building her niche in the local art business.
Starting with clientele among relatives and friends, Susan later expanded her scope to cover clients throughout Sabah, thanks to the Internet and its multimedia.
In addition to Facebook and WhatsApp she also has a Twitter account which has enabled her, to her complete surprise, to get customers from outside the country.
The high and very mature quality of her portraitures is pulling in customers in such numbers that she has a problem coping up with orders.
“All orders are prepaid ones so I often have to work day and night to fulfil those orders. Now I even get clients from as far as the United states. I think it’s because my charges are competitive.
In the US a pencil drawing may cost around US$100,” she said. “And at the same I make many interesting friends of different cultures. I am so thankful to the wonders of the global telecommunications which enables me to interact with so many potential customers. This would have been impossible in the days before I was born.”
Susan decided to go for a course in Fine Arts since she was in secondary school in Kota Kinabalu, and later Tuaran, due to her interest in fine arts, and having discovered her talent in it since she was in primary school.
“I am glad that my parents hadn’t enforced their choice of course for me,” she said. “I guess my dad was agreeable to my choice because he himself is an artist and a writer.”
In UiTM Samarahan, Sarawak, Susan finished as the best student in her course and entered the Dean’s List with a very high GPA score.
Remembering her course, she admitted it was quite a challenging stint with so much work, the need to buy so many arts equipments and materials, and due to the tough and uncompromising assignments meted out by her instructors.
“But it was worth it especially when I was repeatedly declared as having produced the best works and my paintings and drawings exhibited as exemplary,” she recalled. “I was also chosen to head several art projects which enhanced my experience and exposure.”
Her wish for more exposure and maturity as an artist seems to be coming to fruition with a surprising development with her contacts in the United States.
“I can’t believe it but my friends over there who only know me online have invited me to visit the United States,” she giggled with excitement.
“And best of all, they are also helping me to raise the fund online to enable me to fly over several states there by this August! But I am still considering because my siblings are worried about me travelling alone half way around the world.”
She is not yet too worried about finding a job as her home art business is so good it is giving her the idea of becoming a full-time professional artist. Susan can be contacted through her Facebook account.