Growing up in Merced, California, Susan Regert is no stranger to herding cattle or raising sheep. When her father died suddenly, Susan inherited the family cattle operation, a change of course she wasn’t expecting. But spending long days on the farm also became a source of artistic inspiration. Drawing from her rural surroundings, Susan began creating water color works and one-of-a-kind rusted steel sculptures. “I try to keep a realistic feel to my designs,” she says, “so the sculpture is an understated look and the design is the focus.” She creates her works along with a talented crew at the Regert Gallery, which she opened in 1986.