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	It is interesting that work in clay that is all about ideas and relationships can result in such diversity. The figural clay creations of Susannah Israel can be at least partially credited to her aspirations in the medical profession and her continuing interest in the human form. Some of her most engaging figures are created by piling on clay using traditional pinch-and-coil techniques. A favorite of the animal variety might be "Lobo Joven," 1993, now in the Allan Chasanoff Ceramics Collection at the Mint Museum of Craft & Design. A recent series is comprised of figures that have elongated torsos with arms closely affixed to the body. The expressive faces with "crowns," (no doubt symbolic) of fans and pitch forks and birds, are reminiscent of the rare Chinese Song dynasty tomb figurines, which depicted highly individualized and expressive portraits of male servants and maids. Israel has expressed her thoughts about the importance of community and relationships in her life and how the loss of loved ones has impacted her. Her keen awareness of the passing of both time and people, and yet her understanding of the permanence of her work in clay, have blessed her with a vision to create figures that might be construed as tomb figurines, meant to accompany the deceased in the afterlife, or perhaps they are friends for the here and now. The unknown element in her work is part of its attractiveness. - Margaret Carney Got Sculpture? The First 14 Years of the Virginia A. Groot Foundation Awards