ABOUT
Born in Liverpool, UK
Lives & works in Bristol, UK
Sue draws on her strong interest in the history of painting, understanding its relevance in the context of today’s world. She sees a clear connection between past and present. Her figurative paintings document time and memory, creating snapshots of moments we can all relate to, with lasting value for the future. They embody her own thoughts and experiences. A reimagination of the world as she sees it. Sue is currently investigating ambiguity, painting strangers, veiled or seen from behind. She is interested in the anonymity of the figure as a means of engaging the viewer in a shared experience.
Drawing is a fundamental part of her process. It allows her the freedom to reflect and rework, investigating how she feels and what she sees. She works mostly from photographs, manipulating imagery to explore composition, enlarging, fading, and cropping her subject matter, forcing it to extend beyond the picture plane. These open-ended threads create uncertainty. She invites the audience in, asking them to empathise, and create their own narratives.
Embracing the tradition of oil painting, Sue’s thoughtful paintings blur the boundaries between figure and ground. With an emphasis on shadow and tone, her use of chiaroscuro and a dark, muted palette help create atmospheric compositions from which her figures emerge. She enjoys the richness and fluidity of oil paint, on a resistant, textured surface. She moves it around in loose, smudged brushstrokes, manipulating and controlling it, creating and erasing her marks until the painting evolves. Only then does she let it dry.
Sue has always maintained an interest in art. In 2015, she took a break from a 25-year career in finance to steer a new direction. In 2022 she obtained her Foundation Degree and is currently completing her BA in Fine Art at the University of Gloucestershire.
Her first group show studio zero took place at The Sub Rooms in Stroud in May 2022 in collaboration with 4 fellow degree students.
EDUCATION
currently studying for BA in Fine Art (University of Gloucestershire)
2022 Foundation Degree in Fine Art (University of Gloucestershire)
2020 Diploma Access to HE Art & Design (South Gloucestershire and Stroud College)
1994 ACA Chartered Accountant (Coopers & Lybrand, Bristol)
1989 BA (Hons) Modern Languages - French & German (University of Leeds)
EXHIBITIONS
2023
Yr 3 BA Interim Degree Show Bristol School of Art
2022
Yr 2 FdA Degree Show South Gloucestershire and Stroud College
studio zero The Sub Rooms, Stroud
2021
Yr 1 FdA Degree Show South Gloucestershire and Stroud College
2020
Yr 2 Access College Show South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (Virtual)
2019
Yr 1 Access College Show South Gloucestershire and Stroud College