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Meet Susy Pilgrim Waters

Susy Pilgrim Waters working in her Studio at her work desk.

Susy has drawn since she could hold a pencil. Always fascinated by layers of colour, lines, and emotions. Susy is happiest engrossed in her work. Susy grew up in England, drawing on a rich family history in the arts and sciences. Her lineage includes a distant relative, Luke Howard, who first classified and named the clouds; the Curtis family, celebrated botanical illustrators; and her great-grandfather, William Curtis Green, the renowned British architect who designed the Dorchester Hotel in London.

Her father was a forward-thinking minister who loved painting and drawing portraits; her mother was a remedial teacher. Her family of five grew up on homegrown vegetables, holidays in Ireland, and a bunch of practical notions about living.

Originally drawn to glass and structural form, Susy pursued a B.A. in furniture design at Middlesex Polytechnic, London, before discovering her skills were perfectly suited to surface design — applying color, print, and texture to materials. This background fostered a non-precious approach to scale that she has drawn on ever since.

While her children were small, she made very practical, funky hats and scarves, making a small business with her sister Ali in Boston and the UK, the proceeds of which enabled her to study illustration with Lilla Rogers, who became her illustration agent. She found that illustration fed her love of design and telling stories. Always ready to multitask, Susy and Keith (her husband and co-founder of PilgrimWaters) made lamps and lampshades. Keith built her large maple panels, which she paints for restaurants, private commissions, and artwork. Currently, Susy is working with artisans in Nepal to hand-weave and print a variety of large-scale textiles. She also produces canvas bags, and her handcrafted leather shoulder bags have been very popular. More is in the works, coming soon.

Her practical nature and love of design have a long history. She has been making products for years. Visit often, as our story evolves.

Susy

Print design inspiration — explore Susy’s paintings.

PilgrimWaters is very much a family affair. Meet Keith, Susy’s husband and co-founder — the builder, the problem-solver, and the quiet force behind the scenes who makes it all possible.