About the Artist
Surrey Artist of the Year Finalist 2021
Creates Magazine Emerging Artist Award Winner 2019
Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Prize Finalist 2018 & 2019
Sue paints pictures of everyday folk. Taking a lighter look at life, capturing our warmth and humanity. The aim being that you’ll recognise something in the image, like it’s a reflection of someone you know, or a certain behaviour – evoking a sense of the familiar.
Having lived a life, and raised her family, Sue took up painting after an illness, and was lucky enough to find an Art tutor that helped her find her ‘thing’.
The majority of her work is in oil, with just occasional forays into water -based media. In oils Sue starts by drawing with paint, the lines forming part of the finished piece. And with water – based media, there is no initial drawing – instead she takes a deep breath and goes straight into the masses with a loaded brush. The focus being on the essence of the image, rather than the finer detail.
All the moments captured are of people Sue has seen whilst out and about doing her favourite thing – people watching, with sketchbook and camera in hand.
Artist Statement
I’m drawn (no pun intended) to painting people. I used to try the odd landscape, only to find it empty without humans in it. I want to capture the moment, that quirky mannerism, the hunch of the shoulder, the rolled foot – whatever it maybe, I see it, and see it as a painting. Sometimes what I’ve seen is obvious in the image, other times it’s about my imagination – having guessed at the persons thoughts or conversation at that precise moment, and I’m translating what I’ve seen onto the canvas/paper.
My focus is on the lighter side of life, and ordinary everyday folk – the real not the ideal, think moobs and muffintops. My hope being that you’ll recognise something in the image, that gives you a feeling of familiarity – like it’s a reflection of someone you know.
Most of my work is in oil, but I occasionally experiment with watercolour and mixed media. I rely on my own reference, as my camera, and eye, hopefully, catches the moment that caught my attention. Often my work is Alla Prima, focusing on the essence of the image, rather than the finer detail. I’m an unashamed colourist, and am a great one for working part of the time upside down, (the canvas that is, not me) to ensure I keep my work loose.
How do you interpret ‘Ready to wear’ in your work?
My work is observational. Candid moments that resonated with me and have wanted to capture.
The theme of ‘Ready to Wear’ to me speaks of many things. How we wish to present ourselves, how others perceive us, how we often judge people by their appearance, and how some women annoyingly are like clothes racks and they can throw any old thing on and look a million dollars.
