At our Draper James boutiques in Dallas and Nashville, we proudly feature the work of Southern female artists.
Here’s the story of Susan Hable, the Texas-born, Athens, GA-based artist whose pieces are most often inspired by her own backyard garden and whose company, Hable Construction, transforms her artwork into totes, pillows, rugs, and more. Her paintings hang in both our Nashville and Dallas boutiques.
Tell us about the pieces you created for our two stores—Strawberry Vine 2015 (in Nashville) and Strawberry Vine 2016 (in Dallas).
My mother loves to garden and so do I, so when she started pressing flowers, I started using them to inspire my paintings! The tiny vines are wild strawberry vines that she sent to me from Texas. I love to envision them enlarged, and I have been painting them in various ways for a few years now.
How did you choose these paintings for Draper James?
The strawberry vines are the perfect fit in my mind for the brand because I used really saturated French blue ink, which is strong, and the vines are fine and feminine. I believe that Reese’s vision for her brand has both of these elements. The fun part of creating a brand and retail is that you can reiterate what it is that you are saying each time you open a new store—with a little twist here and there.
What about the South inspires your work?
We moved south six years ago from NYC. My work has flourished surprisingly from moving here—the garden, the quiet, the space have been so integral in growing my business and painting. I plant the flowers that I paint for the most part. Before, I only dreamed of them; now I have the luxury of both!
What drew you to the DJ top you wore in the photo?
I love the pattern of the top that I wore in the pictures! I loved it so much that I got both tops…the pale pink is a favorite color and the teal has fun sleeves and key hole detail. They are also both easy to wear for a number of events…super casual to more dressy…the printed fabric is flirty and fun!
Favorite “Southernism”?
A favorite Texan quote: “It’s hotter than a six shooter. ” And a favorite Southern quote (because I am really both!): “Don’t fall into a velvet ditch.”
