About the Artist

Originally from a horse ranch high in the mountains of Colorado Rocky Mountains, Suzanne’s work reflects her rustic upbringing showcasing her love for horses and nature. Suzanne has always found a profound peace in creativity. She has operated under the business name “Thunder Hoof Pottery” for several years. The name "Thunder Hoof Pottery" connects her passion for draft horses, a working horse with diner plate sized hooves, as the term thunder hoof is used to describe the sound of a running heard of these massive horses as they thunder by. Suzanne has donated a significant amount of her proceeds to horse and animal rescues over the years. With her recent relocation to Pineville, Suzanne is enjoying the rich culture, gorgeous landscape, and vibrant art scene of central Louisiana.

As a self-taught artist, Suzanne has found her calling in clay and textile arts and developed her own unique style rooted in her rustic mountain life. She has learned a variety of skills and techniques from both observing mountain artists from her childhood in hippie-like communities and online tutorials, and most of all through her own trial and error. Suzanne utilizes high fire stoneware as well as other clay compositions to create a variety of original art, sculptures, rustic one-of-a-kind pieces, and small-batch production pieces. Suzanne frequently integrates other materials into her art such as wood, metal, jute, or twine and other accent items. Past commissioned works have included elaborate wedding settings, family dinnerware, and custom sculptures.

Suzanne Burke

Suzanne has always been fascinated by the artistic aspects of ancient textiles. In addition to pottery, this interest drew her to learn primitive wool felting including the age-old tradition of felting soaps. Deepening this love for felting, Suzanne’s brother Robert established a fiber mill raising shetland sheep in Oregon strengthening their familial bond. Exploring this wondrous textile through nuno felting, wet felting, and needle felting, Suzanne is able to bring this unique craft to her artistic portfolio.

While living in Colorado Suzanne’s works were featured in five area mountain gift shops and craft bazaars. She also provided both pottery and felting classes to children and adults. Since relocating to beautiful central Louisiana her focus has shifted away from consumer production items in order to focus on the artistic aspects of her craft. As a recent empty-nester Suzanne commits the majority of her time to her art with the support of her loving husband, Jason. Immediately impressed by the vibrant culture and environment, Suzanne is excited and encouraged by the local arts scene and is eager to contribute and grow with this community.