Born in Roanoke, VA she spent some childhood years in Baton Rouge, LA and Erie, PA but most of her life in Salem, VA.
Sue began a full time career in art in 1999. Leading up to this decision in 99, art was a part time venture, entering shows when time permitted. Her work was well received by the public and the sales encouraged her to leave her life long employment in horticulture and pursue her dreams.
The versatility of Sue’s talent is seen throughout her varied subject matter. She feels that limiting oneself in subject matter is not conducive to creativity. The connecting thread through her work is the use of light. Her background in horticulture has influenced one subject – gardenscapes. She studied and worked on private gardens for years so naturally this shows in her paintings. In recent years, plein are painting (outdoors) has caught her attention and she hopes to do more of that style.
Mainly self taught, Sue attributes several years of study under a local artist/teacher, Vera Dickerson, as an inspiring influence on her work. There are close to 900 books in Sue’s art book library, from the old masters to present time artists. Years of study and miles of canvas and paper have led her art to this stage. She still loves to work on masa rice paper (click here for technique) with acrylic but also loves working with oils and mixed media.
Sue has shown her work in juried exhibitions, such as the Virginia Watercolor Society and juried shows from Florida to Michigan to Rhode Island. Her work is in many private collections and corporations such as Carilion Radford Hospital, Carilion Brambleton Clinic, Brady Roofing Co. and the Noah-Christian Community Center, Inc. |
I too use photos for my reference while painting in the studio, but llike yourself I do a lot of wandering outside, too. I sketch, take pictures, and just enjoy the outdoors. Many of my paintings are done without reference, except for the pictures in my memory. I do love to paint. 