Emotive Ornaments That Inspire Sharing & Speak To The Heart
Susan Marker Lordi had previously been an internationally renowned artist in textiles before beginning a journey that would result in the art that she produced today that is in demand throughout the world. In 2000 Susan began sculpting her Willow Tree ornaments and figurines. The figures are very different from where she began her career as an artist. And yet, years after leaving college she found that her college notebooks contains the drawings and doodles that would one day be the impetus of Willow Tree.
The inspiration for Willow Tree is drawn from friends, family, and people that Susan knows. She is an observer of the relationships taking place around her. From those observations she is able to create the beautiful pieces that make up the collections that are offered.
The ornaments, figures, and boxes that make up the Willow Tree collections are inspiring and give an individual the opportunity to share a feeling or emotion with another person easily. Each sculpture is inspired by an event or an event that can be easily shared in sculpture.
When a person first sees the Willow Tree ornaments, they may think that these are wood sculptures. However, the ornaments are made from a mold created from the sculpture that Susan makes. The ornaments and figures are sculpted from clay that Susan works on in her Missouri studio. When an ornament or figure has been completed it is sent to China.
Once in China a mold is made from the sculpture. A resin is poured into the mold which provides an exact replica of the sculpture with each knife and sculpting etch on the figure. After being removed from the mold it is hand painted with four layers of thin water based paint. This paint is lead free and allows some of the ornaments to be used as cake toppers for weddings.
Upon completion of the painting process the sculptures are cured and sent to their destinations. Some stores have sold the Willow Tree line since its inception. The ornaments are also available through many Internet Sites. You will find that the figures and ornaments are also available on Susan’s Willow Tree website and the Demdaco website.
The figures are made using one of four skin tones and different hair colors. Susan is now working on expanding her collection to include other ethnicities in the sculptures. Her “Child of My Heart” figure is a tribute to a friend who is very involved with international adoption. (more…)







