Collection: Sue-Ryn Burns Hillwoman Productions Herbal Arts

Hillwoman Productions Herbal Arts

Art and healing have always been a double helix driving Sue-Ryn's life. Born on Long Island, she grew up appreciating art museums and the nature around her. After moving to NNY as a teenager, she became even more appreciative of nature.

 After a brief time in California in the early 70's she completed drawing and silk-screening classes at a community college in San Luis Obispo, Sue-Ryn left behind her first herbal tea garden and returned to northern New York. Her attentions turned to learning more about herbal healing, identifying local plants, foraging wild foods, and growing and using herbs to care for her family, friends, their pets and farm animals. She also took a few more classes in graphic design and screen printing at the former Ballard Mill School in Malone NY. Her silk-screening skills came into play printing posters and t-shirts for several north country political movements; the 765KV line opposition, and helping North Country Women raise funds for the first women's shelter in St. Lawrence county to name a couple. One of her first paying jobs was caring for the gardens of a botanical illustrator, and then she landed a C.E.T.A. job at The Crafts Barn Arts Co-Op in Potsdam New York.

After a few years on the road setting up at a variety of craft shows and markets Sue-Ryn was invited to be the Herb Lady at the Sterling Renaissance Festival in central New York where her skills as an herbalist grew in many directions. Her healing herbal and aromatherapy products have always been inspired by the needs and requests of the people and creatures she lives amongst. Sue-Ryn moved to Wellesley Island and there she opened and ran Northern Paradise, a craft and gift shop in the old Fineview post office building for more than fifteen years. After 27 years she retired from the “Ren Faire” and began to focus more on the wildlife rehabilitation service she and her husband Steve maintain on Wellesley Island. In 2011 Hill Woman's Kitchen was published so that Sue-Ryn's past customers and friends had access to her original formulas for teas, culinary blends and bath herb mixtures, along with some basic growing and harvesting information. Sue-Ryn continues to market her products at selected events and locations around the north country. In 2012 she helped form Bay House Artisans with a group of equally talented people to help create a community market for regional artisans and the rest as they say, “is History”.