Susan Graeser Memmen ’ s Fifty-Year Dream
Written & Photographed By Laura Wrede
Susan Graeser Memmen ( or just ‘ Susan ’ as she likes to be called ) dreamt of painting fine art as a career . After high school she sought a fine art and graphics degree at Pasadena City College . It looked as if her dream would come true until the course of her life changed directions and set in motion an unexpected path that Susan never imagined .
Susan was a typical Southern California girl . She grew up in Monrovia with her parents and brother in a Craftsman style home built by her grandfather . She always believed art was in her future . “ At age five I was drawing in pencil and coloring with crayons ,” said Susan . She was hooked on creating art from then on . Other artists in her family also influenced her .
Her cousin , Tom Sanders , a movie production designer , worked with Mel Gibson , Steven Spielberg , and other Hollywood icons designing movie sets . “ We used to draw together . He once asked me to go to Paris to work on Disney World ,” said Susan . Sanders was nominated for an Oscar in 1998 for Saving Private Ryan . His artistic talent inspired Susan .
Along with Sanders , Susan ’ s great uncle , J . Wilton Cunningham was also an artist He painted in Paris at the time
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