An Interview with Sue England

Posted by Jazmine Saunders on 6th April, 2024

• Jazmine Saunders

  1. Can you share a bit about your artistic background and what inspired you to become an artist?

  Sue England

  A teacher at my school was the first and best inspiration. Art School had never been on my agenda till then. I qualified (Manchester Art College, Reading University) and worked professionally as a graphic designer and teacher. On voluntary redundancy, I decided I wanted to get away from a computer screen and back to ‘getting my hands dirty’. I thought print would be a good place to start. Then I went on to explore the wonderful world of oil paints and found that the 2 very different disciplines worked well together.

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

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  Jazmine Saunders

  2. What specific media do you work with and how do you choose the materials for your work?

  Sue England

  Screen printing, collagraph and monoprinting are my main print methods, ( I have my own equipment so can work from home). I love that you can combine techniques. You can print on or with anything. I use different inks and papers for different techniques. I also use my prints in handstitched books, another precise discipline which contrasts well with oil painting. I recently discovered the joy of stretching your own canvas, such a contemplative process. The finished gessoed surface is almost too beautiful to spoil with my daubs! I choose the oil paints depending on what I can find on offer, but revert to Daler Rowney Georgian as the general and Michael Harding for a real treat.

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

• ... 'A sketchbook is a very important part of my practice'

  Jazmine Saunders

  3. Could you describe your creative process, from concept to completion, for a typical piece of artwork?

  Sue England

  Stimuli are everywhere. Like most artists, I just notice things. I draw – a sketchbook is a very important part of my practice. I take photos and absorb the atmosphere of a place, or whatever it is that has started me in a particular direction. But then always more drawing. With paint I work on several smaller pieces at the same time either on paper or boards/canvases, moving between them. Then when I am more familiar with the ideas and the way the paint is working, I will try something larger. Occasionally this can happen quickly, but usually, it needs time and contemplation.

  Oil paint needs a long time to dry so after several months, if the paintings are still around, I will ‘varnish’ with a protective matt/silk medium.

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

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  Jazmine Saunders

  4. How do you draw inspiration for your work and are there particular themes or subjects that resonate with you?

  Sue England

  Ideas cross-reference themselves all the time and the ‘doing it’ is part of the development. Landscape and nature in all its guises are a constant, but I like the local, the every day, the things perhaps not normally noticed. I have also been exploring old family photos. We are all shaped by our individual backgrounds, but there is also a common thread we can recognise in images taken on simple ‘old-fashioned’ cameras. There is a resonance with time and place.

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

• ... 'Go with the flow and above all enjoy the process. Challenge yourself by taking things on that are out of your comfort zone'

  Jazmine Saunders

  5. Can you discuss any challenges you've faced as an artist and how you've overcome them?

  Sue England

  Gosh, every artistic attempt is a challenge! Patience, patience, give yourself time to think and absorb as well as actually ‘doing’ it. When I did Landscape Artist of the Year, I hope I didn’t take it all too seriously and I would say that’s essential. Go with the flow and above all enjoy the process. Challenge yourself by taking things on that are out of your comfort zone (like being Artist in Residence at Denmans Garden in 2022) & accept the rough with the smooth. I also go and see other peoples work, particularly if ‘stuck’. You realise they have probably struggled too and it usually spurs me on to keep striving. Just keep doing it would be my best advice.

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

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  Jazmine Saunders

  6. What role does the Chichester Open Studios Art Trail play in your artistic journey and why did you choose to participate?

  Sue England

  I have participated in the Chichester Open Studios for several years and always find it hard work but very enjoyable. This year it’s one of my main opportunities as I’ve taken a step back from some other chances to exhibit. It’s a huge organisational enterprise and a chance to meet other artists and the public who, after all, have chosen to come and see you.  It also makes you give your studio a good clear out and is suitable for the general public to look around!

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

• Jazmine Saunders

  7. Are there any specific pieces you'll be showcasing during the Art Trail that hold special significance to you, and if so, why?

  Sue England

  It will depend on what I’m happy with nearer the time, although I like to show work in progress or something I consider to be a ‘failure’. I have been trying to work slightly larger and will hopefully have several on show. I always show sketchbooks as they help explain the process and people seem to like that. It’s a bit like reading someone’s diary!

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

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  Jazmine Saunders

  8. How do you hope your audience will engage with or interpret your artwork during the Chichester Open Studios Art Trail?

  Sue England

  I’m grateful they have come at all. One thing visitors have said to me in the past is that there is always something different to look at. I like that and hope diversity may trigger a conversation. I don’t mind if people don’t ‘like’ the work or don’t ‘get it’, but let’s talk about it!

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

• 

  Jazmine Saunders

  9. What do you enjoy most about being part of the local artistic community and how does it influence your work?

  Sue England

  Networking opportunities are always so beneficial. Seeing what other local artists are up to can be very stimulating and cause you to question your own practice. We all go through the same struggles and I have made many strong friendships which lead to mutual support.

  Photographic Credit: Sue England

• ... 'Any opportunity to encourage others to pick up a pencil, a brush, a lump of clay….whatever is an opportunity not to be missed.'

  Jazmine Saunders

  10. Can you share your thoughts on the importance of community support for local artists and events like the Chichester Open Studios?

  Sue England

  The Open Studios is a vital part of the local artistic community. Without it, we would just be working in isolation with no real opportunity to connect with each other or the public. Lots of people who visit Open Studios do so because they don’t feel intimidated like entering a gallery can sometimes be. We all have creativity within us, but some of us have been lucky enough to develop that, others have not. Coming to talk to artists participating in Open Studios shows the diversity of creative endeavour and gives people the opportunity to realise they too have potential for personal expression. Any opportunity to encourage others to pick up a pencil, a brush, a lump of clay….whatever is an opportunity not to be missed.

  Photographic Credit: Sue England