Susan Sutton is a painter of significantly detailed oil paintings on canvas which embody social observations and specific subjects along Victoria's Surf Coast.
There is particular emphasis on the region along the Great Ocean Road between Geelong and Lorne.

Susan's representational Surf Coast images have become well known and widely accepted in recent years as iconic paintings of living experiences around the southern beaches of Australia.

Regional and city images from central Geelong, and occasionally metropolitan Melbourne portray obviously different subjects, but nonetheless the same feeling of actually 'being there'.

“Inspiration for my works is usually a response to personal involvement in an event or a situation.

I paint best what I know and understand in the region I have lived most of my life ... familiarity
and research for detail form the basis of my created images.

My paintings usually contain figures which I use to convey the social narrative, while the ambience and mood of the particular place or situation are conveyed through the effects of colour, light and atmosphere. All of these are extremely important components of my work”.

Career History

Susan Sutton commenced work as a serious artist in the late 1990s following more than three decades of other career involvements.

Following secondary schooling, Susan's practical interest in general art began at the tertiary level in 1964 and by the end of 1967 she had completed Diploma of Art through The Gordon Institute Geelong and Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology [R.M.I.T.] , the Trained Secondary Teachers' Certificate [T.S.T.C. Art & Craft] through Melbourne Teachers' College, and also Fine Arts IT at Melbourne University.

For four years 1968 – 1971 incl. Susan taught art at Geelong High School, before establishing 'Pottage', a large Geelong based arts and crafts retailing business in 1972.
The close involvement in this and other family businesses continued well into 2003.

Although occasionally managing to keep in touch with her own artistic talents over nearly forty years, it actually wasn't until 2003 that Susan realised her long held ambition to pursue a career as a fulltime painter.

A very brief period of pastel work was the forerunner to her first significant artistic period of watercolour painting.
Her watercolours drew attention through early solo exhibitions and regional showings.
With the passing of time oils began to emerge as Susan's strongest expression and she is now recognised as a painter of significant images in this medium.

During the formative years from the late 1990s, painting trips to overseas destinations provided broad artistic experiences.
Considerable lengths of time were spent travelling, painting and studying in Italy, France, Austria, UK, Japan, USA and East Timor and provided the inspiration for numerous early solo exhibitions.

The development of serious artistic social observations came into prominence through personal involvements in East Timor.
In 2003 and 2004, Susan presented three lengthy voluntary teaching workshops in watercolour painting and print making to adult students at Arte Moris, East Timor's first free art school.
A highly regarded solo exhibition 'East Timor – A Visual Journey' was shown in Geelong in 2004.
In the years following she continued her involvements with the school and in 2007 instigated, co-ordinated and hosted a six week tuition project for three senior students at Geelong's Gordon Institute Art Department.

In the most recent years Susan has chosen to present her work annually in solo exhibitions through two galleries ... Qdos Arts at Lorne www.qdosarts.com.au and Metropolis Gallery in Geelong www.metropolisgallery.com.au
Throughout the disciplined preparation periods she enjoys researching, gathering ideas and working seriously in relative isolation to create the large body of work required for these anticipated showings.
Her work is mostly produced at her studio in Geelong West.

Many general images have become popular as art cards and prints which are produced and distributed Australia wide through Art Publishing Australia www.artpublishing.com.au while other more specific images are self published.

Susan Sutton's paintings have been acquired for significant public collections including The SurfCoast Shire, Arte Moris Permanent Collection in East Timor, The Geelong Regional Gallery Permanent Collection and The Gordon Foundation Collection.
A very large number of works may be found in numerous private collections throughout Australia and overseas in England, Germany, Austria, Japan, USA, France, Hong Kong, Belgium, Sweden and East Timor.

Susan Sutton

Curriculum Vitae - 2010

Diploma of Art R.M.I.T. 1967 – Fine Arts [1T] Melbourne University
Trained Secondary Teacher’s Certificate [T.S.T.C. Art/Craft], Melbourne Teachers’ College
Secondary School Art Teaching 1968 – 1971
Art / Craft retailer in Geelong and Lorne 1972 – 2003
Seriously commenced painting 1997
Overseas painting expeditions from 1998 - Italy, France, Austria, UK, Japan, USA, East Timor
Voluntary workshops [x 3] presented to adult art students in East Timor, July and November 2003, also September 2004
Instigated/ coordinated 6 week art project hosting three East Timor artists in Geelong at The Gordon Institute 2007
Gordon Foundation Art Collections & Exhibitions Committee – Practising Artist Advisor [2006- 2009]
Long-time member Geelong Art Society, also Victorian Artists’ Society [VAS Signatory Member]
Works represented in private and public collections in Australia and Overseas [England, Germany, Austria, Japan, USA, France, Hong Kong, Belgium, Sweden and East Timor]
Significant commissions ... and numerous paintings purchased for official presentations
Art Cards [reproduced art works] distributed Australia wide
Major acquisitions,[1998 SurfCoast Shire, 2004 Arte Moris Collection East Timor, 2006 Christian College Geelong,
2008 Geelong Regional Gallery Permanent Collection, 2009 The Gordon Foundation Collection].
2011 Collaborative researched project. Lorne Surf Life Saving Club history book / commissioned painting for wrap-around cover.

‘Australian Artist’ [No.232 Oct. 2003] 6 page magazine article – Watercolours painted on location in East Timor.

General Subjects – Coastal and urban themes. People in their environment / social observation and commentary .
Mediums and Methods – Preferred medium – oil on linen or cotton canvas [watercolours and drawing mediums used sometimes]. Subjects are interpreted in representational and intuitive manners using direct drawing and painting methods.