ABOUT SUE - a Cornish artist
MY ART PRACTICE
I am passionate about my Cornish heritage and create paintings suffused with the atmosphere, light and weather of the North Cornish coast.
I am happiest in the water and this last year I have been in the sea all year round. It’s a place to imagine new works and really connect with nature, to be conscious of what is precious in my life.
Many pieces are started outside in situ on the beach. Back in the studio, the ideas and memories become part of the conversation I have with paint. After layering loose watery areas of colour over, I will often see something familiar from my memory from which to work, the shape of waves or coastline.
My life is absorbed by a constant process of seeing, recording to memory or paper, ideas and thoughts to be painted or to inform on new pieces of artwork painting the narrative of this part of Cornwall, which is integral to my own story.
The coast of Cornwall takes the full force of Atlantic storms and weather which has shaped our coastline over the centuries. Using similar techniques in the studio with sanding, wiping off and glazing further layers of light, followed by more impasto brush marks.
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.
FAMILY and BUDE
I live with my husband near the beach and have recently become a Nanna. Our two sons live and work here 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.
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 . You can see the stories here .
