Artista Vista 2013 ... a promotional video featuring ME!

Susan from Coal Powered Filmworks on Vimeo.

Runaway Runway 2013 TOP TWENTY

The Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina was the site for Runaway Runway 2013, the Columbia Design League's annual fund raiser.  Designs were all made from 100% post consumer products.  The competition's first round started with all the models parading the runway.  This was followed by each model strutting her "junk" individually.  The end of the first act was another parade of all the participants.  The Top Twenty designs were announced and these models walked the runway.  There was a brief intermission and the Top Twenty walked again.  This is the video of both Top Twenty group walks.  The video was taken by Steve Dingman, Susan Lenz's husband.  He tried to capture the entire group but focused most on Model # 2 Felicia Finney who wore Susan's The Leaf Dress and on Model # 35 "Christine Heiszer" who actually was Susan Lenz in disguise wearing her The Pantyhose Dress.

April 6, 2013.

Runaway Runway 2013 ... Parade of Recycled Fashions at the End of Act One

The Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina was the site for Runaway Runway 2013, the Columbia Design League's annual fund raiser.  Designs were all made from 100% post consumer products.  The competition's first round started with all the models parading the runway.  This was followed by each model strutting her "junk" individually.  The end of the first act was another parade of all the participants.  This is the video of that group walk.  The video was taken by Steve Dingman, Susan Lenz's husband.  He tried to capture the entire group but focused most on Model # 2 Felicia Finney who wore Susan's The Leaf Dress and on Model # 35 "Christine Heiszer" who actually was Susan Lenz in disguise wearing her The Pantyhose Dress.

April 6, 2013.

Susan Lenz as Christine Heiszer at Runaway Runway 2013

The Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina was the site for Runaway Runway 2013, the Columbia Design League's annual fund raiser.  Designs were all made from 100% post consumer products.  The competition's first round started with all the models parading the runway.  This was followed by each model strutting her "junk" individually.  The end of the first act was another parade of all the participants.  This video was taken by Steve Dingman, Susan Lenz's husband of  Model # 35 "Christine Heiszer" who actually was Susan Lenz in disguise wearing her The Pantyhose Dress.

April 6, 2013.

Felicia Finney and The Leaf Dress at Runaway Runway 2013

The Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina was the site for Runaway Runway 2013, the Columbia Design League's annual fund raiser.  Designs were all made from 100% post consumer products.  The competition's first round started with all the models parading the runway.  This was followed by each model strutting her "junk" individually.  The end of the first act was another parade of all the participants.  This video was taken by Steve Dingman, Susan Lenz's husband of Model # 2 Felicia Finney who wore Susan's The Leaf Dress.

April 6, 2013.

Runaway Runway 2013, The First Parade of Models

The Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina was the site for Runaway Runway 2013, the Columbia Design League's annual fund raiser.  Designs were all made from 100% post consumer products.  The competition's first round started with all the models parading the runway.  This was followed by each model strutting her "junk" individually.  The end of the first act was another parade of all the participants.  This is the video of the first group walk.  The video was taken by Steve Dingman, Susan Lenz's husband.  He tried to capture the entire group but focused most on Model # 2 Felicia Finney who wore Susan's The Leaf Dress and on Model # 35 "Christine Heiszer" who actually was Susan Lenz in disguise wearing her The Pantyhose Dress.

April 6, 2013.

UNEARTH 2012 at Saluda Shoals Park

For the past six years I've been involved with UNEARTH, a celebration of naturally inspired art.  It was my honor to be part of this video.

Healthcare in America 0001

Fiber Art: Melting Felt with Susan Lenz

Olympic Park in Munich

On our recent trip to Munich, Steve and I went to Olympic Park. It is beautiful. The weather was perfect ... but these hamster-like plastic balls for rolling on the water were only available for kids! I want to do this too!

Outdoor Art on the Isar River

This video was shot during our April trip to Munich. It includes my parents, my sister Wanda (who drove us all over Bavaria!) and her husband Reinhard, Steve and me. The outdoor installation of rock formations is somewhere on the banks of the Isar River south of Munich. We know nothing more about it. If anyone seeing this video has information, please contact me at mouse_house@prodigy.net! Thanks! Susan

The Zugspitz with Susan and Steve

Our recent trip to Munich included a fabulous day excursion to Germany's highest alpine peak, the Zugspitz. The day was GLORIOUS! Of course, the people selling cable car tickets thought I was totally nuts since I was wearing flip flops ... but it didn't stop me (and wasn't a problem at all ... it's not like I was going skiing after all!) From the summit, we rode the smaller cable car down onto the glacier where skiers were EVERYWHERE! This video captures this ride.

Some of the skiers were dressed in traditional dirndls. Others were sun tanning in provided chairs. There is also a train that departs from the bottom and climbs via cogs. This train also arrived in the same glacier station to which we were riding. Steve and I went down the mountain on the train.

In the video I mention that "Austria was closed". Well, the boarder between the two countries runs right through the top of the Zugspitz. The Austrian side of the summit hadn't been completely shoveled out from recent snowfall ... hence, it was "closed".

Thank you goes to my sister Wanda who drove us to the Zugspitz. Our group consisted of Wanda, her husband Reinhard, my parents, Steve and me. My mother went up and down on the train. Wanda and my Dad went up on the train and down on the cable car. Steve and I went up on the cable car and down on the train. Reinhard only went by cable car. It was a blast no matter how you rode!

Runaway Runway, 2012 ... Felicia on the catwalk!

Felicia Finney, my excellent young model (age 14 and 5' 9 1/2" tall) on the catwalk at Runaway Runway, 2012. This annual event is sponsored by the Columbia Design League and features garments made from 100% recycled material. Felicia's dress was created from black felt that had previously been used as packaging material when shipping a kayak or canoe from its manufacturer to a local outdoors shop. The two-piece garment is covered in buttons salvaged from the former South Carolina State Mental Hospital's vacant laundry/alterations building. The over-sized tote was made from used tyvek and bubble-wrap mailing envelops from Lenz Travel Services of Slippery Rock, PA. It is called a "Barkin' Bag", an obvious twist on the elite Hermes Birkin Bag. Why "Barkin' "? Watch the video for Lulu, my sister Sonya's tiny dog who emerges from the Barkin' Bag at the end of the runway. Lulu is dressed in a harness that matches Felicia's outfit. (By the way, my adorable husband Steve actually shot this video!)

Ohio State vs. the Gamecocks ... O-H-I-O cheer

It was supposed to be a Gamecock home game ... but Ohio Staters were everywhere. The only home arena advantage was that USC controlled the loud speakers and sounded there obnoxious rooster call almost every time the Buckeyes had the place in an uproar!

Thanksgiving Turduckin, 2011

Thanksgiving 2011. Sonya and Vipin hosted a most amazing Thanksgiving dinner and introduced us to a new tradition ... TURDUCKEN!

Mariachi Band at Vision Gallery

This video isn't the greatest. Why? Because my camera only takes movies that become "MOV" files on my computer. There's no possible way to switch the formatting on the camera to the needed "AVI" type file that works with Blogger. I have a free program to "convert" the file ... but ... well, I get what I paid for ... not a great result. I should have taken the video with Steve's camera (my old camera!). Yet, this video does offer a bit of the southwestern flavor and vocal excitement that entertained during the reception of Vision Gallery's Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) reception last Friday night. My show "Famous Last Words" was part of the festivities.

Tar Balls on South Carolina's Folly Beach

On Thursday, October 13, 2011 I went to what is left of Folly Beach to collect trash for my upcoming window installation, Two Hours at the Beach. It was a disturbing trip. First, Folly Beach's County Park is closed due to severe erosion caused by Hurricane Irene. The damage is shocking. There's nothing left of most of dunes at the end of the island. Second, there were all sorts of black "rocks" littering the sand and leeching coffee like stains back into the ocean. On closer inspection, they weren't really "rocks" but TAR BALLS. Some were the size of bowling balls. The small ones could be easily broken by hand. This video shows my husband Steve breaking one of the small ones I brought back.

He Said, She Said

This artist book was created using two, mixed media works on 5" x 7" masonite panels featuring antique engravings with layers of paint and sheer paper. Holes were drilled for coptic binding.

Mining in Arkansas

Steve and I had a total blast at Coleman's Quartz Mine on Thursday, September 1, 2011. We found plenty of beautiful stones to line our pet cemetery, many clear crystal pieces, met lots of nice people, and tried our best not to die of heat stroke in the 96 degree temperatures!

Why I Love DC

This video was made in response to a question posed on Facebook by one of my former high school classmates, Doug Riggs. He asked, "Why would you like to like in DC?"