Sue Coleman
I started producing art work in 1982 when I started playing around with watercolour and pen and ink.In my professional career I worked in theatres and the arts, first in repertory and producing touring shows as a stage manager and production manager.
Here I learnt a lot about painting canvas scenery in the traditional way where everything was an illusion and painted surfaces became 3D to the audience once good lighting is applied. This tradition has long gone now where sets are now made for specific theatrical production in 3D materials. The exception to this is pantomime where backdrops of canvases painted in 3D are still used.
I moved on to resident theatre management roles, ending up as a senior Cultural Services Manager running a full range of services including theatres, events and festivals, libraries and art galleries for a number of local authorities in the South of England. I moved here to the South West in 2003.
As an artist I am a bit of a butterfly, moving across a wide range of craft and art disciplines. Watercolour and ink was my first love and something I continue to practise today. I have produced textile work in batik and felt and in ceramics for which I have a City and Guilds Certificate. Since 2014 I have been practicing mostly with printmaking techniques which reflects my love of line and greyscale tonal work. Traditional etching and collagraph printmaking techniques are my current passion, with much of my work reflecting the beauty of the Cornwall landscape and my many visits abroad. I explore a range of themes in my work and am inspired by both landscape and figurative images I encounter.
I also now run printmaking beginners courses in Kelly Bray and regularly demonstrate at exhibitions and shows.
Where's your favourite place?
A: Yosemite in California. A lot of my art work in recent years has reflected the amazing scenery in California's first national park.
What's your favourite book and/or film?
My favorite film is Dunkirk I am fascinated with the endurance and resourcefulness of local sailors on the south coast to pull this off - amazing.
What irritates you?
I get irritated by bad and dangerous driving - it is so thoughtless and dangerous for others.
Who would you most like to meet (anyone dead or alive)?
I would love to meet Monet, I have visited Giverny and his house and garden which inspired me.
Who is your hero/who do you most admire?
My hero is my late husband, his endurance and spirit during his short illness was so inspirational for me.
What motivates and inspires you?
I am inspired by the wonders of nature and the natural world better than any recreation I could do as an artist - but continuing to try to capture that beauty motivates me to create my artwork.