Susie Mullen Hopes to Impact San Marcos with her Art Work

By Sarah Bey
News Reporter

Susie Mullen is a San Marcos native who never wastes time.

“I feel very productive this year. I think we’re going to see a lot of great work coming out soon,” said Mullen.

In between working as a Chartwells cashier on campus, Mullen spends her time with her true passion — art.

“It’s going to be something I do all the time whether or not I make money at it or not. I don’t think I’ll ever quit doing it; I love it,” said Mullen.

Currently, Mullen’s work is hanging in the purple room at Wake the Dead Coffee House in San Marcos until the end of the month. The central theme of the hanging art is underwater sea life and Mullen says she had to do some studying of her own for the project.

Mullen said, “Every painting I do is an experiment. How do you paint glass? How do you paint water? How do you make things feel like they’re moving? Every painting you do is a complete experiment.”

Mullen said she started painting in her mid-40’s and is fairly self-taught by watching YouTube videos and TV specials.

“You know, I didn’t really think I was an artist. I didn’t think I could do this sort of thing. All of my life I thought you had to be born a painter. And it came to me that I could learn to do this. It was just paint.”

Mullen says her process is organic and is never the same from project to project.

“Some days you look at a piece of paper and I’ll have a piece of paper set out to paint on for a week. And I can’t get inspired. I can’t think of anything. Then other days you walk out your door and everything you see is imminently paintable and is calling out to you to put it on canvas.”

From painting bones to crocheting afghans, Mullen helps anyone she can.

Mullen says she wants all of her friends to have at least one of her paintings and afghans.

“Everyone else can go travel before they die, but I want that.”

There will be a reception at Wake the Dead on Thursday, February 25 to view Mullen’s artwork.