Suze Perry-Hinkle
Suze Perry-Hinkle lives high on a hill in northern California, overlooking the San Francisco Bay. She is an ardent Francophile, and has created her perfect world over the past decade through her miniature French shops and bistros, which are now threatening to crowd her out of her home. Sadly, she can only speak fractured French.
Suze's love for everything French began as a teenager when an eccentric young woman moved into her neighborhood, and asked if she would be interested in doing work around her house. This led to a job in Lillian's antique store in San Francisco, and a mentorship in the fine art of refinishing treasures brought over from the flea markets of France. Suze absorbed the training and the immersion in French culture with delight. Even though she had studied art and architectural history in college, she credits this time with awakening her lifelong passion for all things old and French.
She loves recycling objects in her work, having been known to stuff pillows with hair from her horse or cut up old clothes to make wallpaper and curtains. When she walks her dogs she keeps her eyes on the ground for whatever she may find to add that perfect unique touch to a building. Her inspirations come from art cards, paintings, lithographs and books on French art and decoration.
"I try for realism, a lived in quality, where one would find dirt and grit; I am most interested in displaying the signs of decay over time. After much study and practice, I may now refer to myself happily as the 'Queen of Distress'".
