About Sue
Being A Cornish Artist - About Me
HELLO ...You might have guessed that my happy place is on the beach or in the ocean. As a child, the roar of a ground sea could be heard at the farm where I was born and where my studio is situated.
The wonderful feeling of well being from being out in nature has always been a part of my life. Through my creativity, I have found a way of expressing my connection to my Cornwall and landscape in paint. Something that can't be put into words. From the panoramic skies, the changing seasons, finding the colour, capturing the weather and changing light in all seasons. And who can resist the sunsets!.
In the ocean, there's nothing like the pure exhilaration of salt water, watching the dancing light, diving under waves and surfing it in and many of my wave paintings come from this elemental experience
This also resonates with Rick Stein who invited me to be featured on his Cornwall Series. Read about it here Rick Steins Cornwall.
I love galleries, but I chose to sell directly to you from the studio. It's important to me to make a connection with you art lovers as a little bit of me goes away with every painting.
With this in mind, please join my newsletter and if you are in the area, studio visits are very welcome. Read on for more on my process and family ......
Process
The last 15 years of painting has been a journey of discovery, where there are no rules. It's a conversation in paint and materials as my paintings of North Cornwall evolve where the narrative of this part of Cornwall is so integral to my own life and story.
I paint on large bespoke made linen canvas as well as smaller canvases, board, card and occasionally aluminium.
The process often starts outside, in all weathers and finding colour lost in the camera. Directly onto canvas on in the sketchbook, they may sit in the studio for some time before I complete them, sitting and engaging in the memory of the moment.
Adding paint with several different tools, wiping away, sanding and adding glazes and impasto marks in various materials including acrylic, inks, oil, neopastels and charcoal. It's a constant path of new ideas and ways of working that keeps the work vibrant and exciting for me to create.
Paintings often come in small collections two or three times a year. Work in progress can be seen at the studio and people on my newsletter have first news on any painting releases.
FAMILY and BUDE
Having grown up on the farm where the studio resides, I actually live with my husband near the beach. Our two sons live and work in Bude too. Tom is head distiller at The Cornish Distilling Co making rum just outside of Bude and Harry carries on a cornish tradition of Dry Stone Walling. Find him on google Kernow Stonework
For five years I have been a part of the #cruelandcurious art collective in conjunction with the National Trust. ‘ as well as a North Cornwall collective Ingenious Pursuits‘ a group of likeminded people with quality at it’s heart combined with ethical values.
Supporting local projects and encouraging art in the community, there is a lot to celebrate in the people, community. A keen guardian of our beaches I support many initiatives that have started in Bude. As you come into Bude you might notice the roundabout with the large rusted structures. Completed with a friend and help from local people, if you’d like to read more, the story of this is here .
I recently supported Bude Sea Pool , curating a ‘Spot the artist’ and auction which raised £16,500. I was honoured to be involved in The Storylines project about our unique environment and climate change which resulted in Bude getting a substantial grant for the 'Bude Climate Partnership'