Toy Box Treasures
My new exhibition ‘Toy Box Treasures’ at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London is now open. Showcasing artworks celebrating the beauty and nostalgic charm of vintage toys, 8th December to 5th January.
I am pleased to announce that I’ve just installed a new exhibition at The Royal Automobile Club Picture Gallery on Pall Mall.
The show shines a spotlight on the magic, beauty and nostalgic charm of vintage toys, celebrating their weathered, playworn characters.
Growing up surrounded by my father’s dusty collection, I was fascinated by these old die-cast treasures from an early age, and have frequented many toy fairs on the hunt for something special. These toys, with their unique array of flecks and patina have a sculptural, dynamic quality that invites connection. They are miniature but mighty in how they capture the spirit of an age and engage our imaginations.
The exhibition features both oil on canvas artworks, a range of limited edition reproductions of original oils, along with a new collection of digitally paintings, created freehand using a wacom tablet and stylus and printed on high quality art paper.
TOY BOX TREASURES
8TH DECEMBER - 5TH JANUARY
The Picture Gallery, at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London.
For more details or any questions, please send me a message by clicking the button below.
EXHIBITION INSTALLATION SHOTS
BROWSE SLIDESHOW BELOW OF ALL ARTWORKS FEATURED
Exhibition Mini Tour
The end of an exhibition! Our show ‘Performers in Paint’ has now finished. If you missed it, fear not, we have put together a mini video walk around, so take a look!
Did you miss it?
Performers in Paint, an exhibition of artworks, celebrating the performers that inspired Stella Tooth & I, ended last week.
For any of you who missed it, we put together this mini tour, to give you a glimpse of the works that featured, and to show how we curated the show, integrating Stella & my work throughout, creating interesting dialogues and generating new ideas.
PERFORMANCE PRINTS
Browse my new collection of Performer inspired art prints, available in a variety of sizes and finishes. Click button to take a Look!
stella & i last sunday before we started to dismantle the show
Once again, thank you to everyone who visited and supported the show. It has been fantastic hearing your thoughts and feedback!
Above all a massive thank you to Stella Tooth for being such an absolute pleasure to work with on this project, her input and team spirit have been amazing!
Looking forward to more Susie / Stella collaborations in the future!
Introducing Tango
Pleased to introduce my now finished painting called ‘Tango,’ inspired by two wonderful dancers, Dmitry Vasin & Esmer Omerova. Discover the ideas behind this painting and watch how it developed from start to finish.
Introducing my finished painting Tango.
Inspired by the wonderful @dmitryvasintango & @esmer__omerova and their spellbinding performance of Argentinian tango in 2015, which utterly transports me every time I watch it - click button below to see them in action.
I loved how this performance paired power with grace, strength with delicacy and underlying all of it, an exquisite, intimate connection between lead and follow.
The moment I chose to paint was a split second, held just before Esmer is lifted overhead. This is where the idea for the King Fisher came from, rooted in this feeling of taking flight, both literally and emotionally.
I also wanted to play with what the digital watercolour could do, loading my virtual brush with water and tilting my virtual paper in different directions, to let the paint run and drip and express itself, searching for the balance between control and spontaneity.
I am pleased to announce, Tango is now available as a beautiful art print, in a range of sizes and finishes. For buying options see listing below.
If you are quick you can see it up close in person at Putney library [5-7 Disraeli Road London, SW15 2DR] until 5pm today, all part of an exhibition called Performers in Paint, showcasing artworks by myself and fellow artist Stella Tooth.
Any Qs, let me know!
This fine art print is of my original digital painting of two beautiful Tango Dancers, inspired by Dmitry Vasin & Esmer Omerova. It was painted free hand using a stylus and pressure sensitive tablet on a computer.
Each print from this digital painting is an original; professionally printed on beautiful Hahnemühle photo Rag paper, 308 gsm thick, with top grade, light fast, fade-resistant inks.
Free UK shipping
For international shipping please CLICK HERE for a quote
Introducing Raven
My new artwork ‘Raven’ is today’s spotlight, celebrating mystery and magic. Discover what inspired her and watch the painting emerge from first to last strokes of the digital brush.
Introducing another newly finished painting called Raven.
Did anyone else get inspired by the new Netflix show Wednesday?
The seed of this artwork was in fact twofold, based primarily on a magical street mime I saw along the Royal Mile, one Edinburgh Festival. But the gothic sense of intrigue behind Wednesday, a Netflix drama which follows the imperturbable Wednesday Adams on her ventures, in a reimagined coming of age drama, full of surprisingly compelling twists and turns, was definitely the impetus that got me thinking more about this street mime; chiming very naturally in mood and ethos
There was something wonderfully mysterious about her, steeped in an otherworldly, fairy-tale atmosphere. The idea of the Raven organically sprung from this. with thoughts of prophecy and totemic spirit. I hope she captures your imagination as she did mine!
Like my painting Rose, she is now also available as a beautiful Art print!
For buying options click the product listing below.
You have a few more days left to see ‘Raven’ & 'Rose,' up close at Putney Library, along with a super line up of other performer inspired artworks by myself and fellow artist @stella_tooth, all part of our exhibition Performers in Paint. The Last day is this Saturday 15th July!
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Address: Putney, Library 5-7 Disraeli Road London, SW15 2DR
Opening Times
Mon, Wed, Thurs: 9am - 8pm
Closed Tuesdays
Fri, Sat: 9am - 5pm
Sun: 1 - 5pm
Any Qs, let me know!
This fine art print is of my original digital painting of an Edinburgh Street mime. It was painted free hand using a stylus and pressure sensitive tablet on a computer.
Each print from this digital painting is an original; professionally printed on beautiful Hahnemühle photo Rag paper, 308 gsm thick, with top grade, light fast, fade-resistant inks.
Free UK shipping
For international shipping please CLICK HERE for a quote
Private View Highlights
Looking back at last month’s private view of Stella Tooth and my exhibition, Performers in Paint at Putney Library. See highlights from this special eve. Just a few more days to see this show before it ends on the 15th July!
Here are the highlights from our Private View last month.
After a full on run around to get our show up and running, @stella_tooth & I were thrilled to officially open our exhibition to the Public.
It was a beautiful clear summer's eve and we were joined by a lovely bunch of people, including:
Phil Atkinson from the @halfmoonputney
my lovely neighbours @editorjangles
even my 2 big bros paid a visit, a rare photo opportunity that @victorianathanson pounced on!
Thank you to all that came and made this such a special evening!
COUNT DOWN
Our exhibition 'Performers in Paint' is up at Putney Library for another few days. Final day is the 15th July so catch it while you can!
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Address: Putney, Library 5-7 Disraeli Road London, SW15 2DR
Opening Times
Mon, Wed, Thurs: 9am - 8pm
Closed Tuesdays
Fri, Sat: 9am - 5pm
Sun: 1 - 5pm
Any Qs let me know!
Introducing Rose
Discover the story behind my new painting 'Rose,' inspired by an Edinburgh Festival Street Mime. Watch a short time-lapse of this artwork's creative journey, from start to finish.
I am pleased to finally reveal my finished painting called Rose.
It is based on a street mime I saw during one Edinburgh Festival, who completely captured my imagination. Her quiet poetry, deeply moved me, conjuring thoughts of love, faith, hope, fragility, wisdom and transformation.
The butterfly background emerged naturally as an extension of these ideas, along with the interplay between refined detail and loose drips. See how the painting progressed in the time-lapse above.
What thoughts does she inspire in you?
I am also happy to report she is now available as a beautiful Art print. For buying options see below.
You can also say hello to Rose, face to face, at Putney Library until the 15th July along with a super line up of other performer inspired artworks by myself and fellow artist Stella Tooth, all part of our exhibition Performers in Paint
EXHIBITION DETAILS
Address: Putney, Library 5-7 Disraeli Road London, SW15 2DR
Opening Times
Mon, Wed, Thurs: 9am - 8pm
Closed Tuesdays
Fri, Sat: 9am - 5pm
Sun: 1 - 5pm
Any Qs let me know!
This fine art print is of my original digital painting of an Edinburgh Street mime. It was painted free hand using a stylus and pressure sensitive tablet on a computer.
Each print from this digital painting is an original; professionally printed on beautiful Hahnemühle photo Rag paper, 308 gsm thick, with top grade, light fast, fade-resistant inks.
Free UK shipping
For international shipping please CLICK HERE for a quote
Riverside Radio Interview
Discover what Stella & I talked in our interview at Riverside Radio last month.
Last month Stella Tooth & I popped along to the Riverside Radio Studios to have a lovely chat with Yash, one of the young reporter for the Wandsworth arts Fringe Festival.
In this interview we talked about how Stella & I met and our exciting new collaboration for this year's Fringe Festival, where we are holding 4 dynamic events at Putney Library.
These include a performance inspired art exhibition [14th June-15th July], two dance inspired workshops, where you can both learn how to dance [22nd June] and learn to draw a dancer [24th June]; concluding with an artist talk [29th June], taking a deep dive into how Stella & I create our paintings.
Press the play button to the right to listen (about 1Oish minutes).
For full details about all our events click the button below.
An Eventful Exhibition Hang
We finally did it! Yesterday’s exhibition hang at Putney Library was certainly not without its challenges! Watch a little summary video of the day.
What goes into an exhibition hang?
Have a watch of an eventful day, putting up our art show at Putney Library.
We were certainly kept on our toes by unexpected challenges, but with a good splash of humour, and the wonderful assistance of lovely people, we got there in the end!
We'll be adding the final touches on Thursday and then we're officially open to the public!
More updates, coming soon!
Click below for all the details!
Exhibition Count Down!
It has been an action packed last few weeks and now here we are one more day to go before the big hang of Stella Tooth and my new exhibition ‘Performers in Paint’ at Putney Library.
Just one more day to go before I load up mum’s car with lots of artwork and cart it to Putney Library for the big hang!
It has been a bit of a mad month, juggling framing, admin, promotion, not to mention studying for my first exam in nutritional therapy - there is certainly never a dull moment!
It has however been a real pleasure working with the lovely Stella Tooth on this project, and we are both really excited to present our works, side by side, a visual expression of the lively dialogue we have whenever we meet!
Our Exhibition Performers in Paint, will be officially open to the public from the 14th June onwards.
Click the button below for all the info, where you will also find details of the workshops and talk Stella & I will be running this month.
stella & i beside our new collaborative painting of slack rope walkers, created specially for our new show!
Stella & I at riverside radio talking about our upcoming exhibition & workshops
Last Night's Big Reveal
The special moment when I presented a new dance inspired painting to the dancers that inspired it, the wonderful Jeff Tarpinian and Mia Amorbaila, at Incognito Dance’s monthly social, last night in Putney.
After an intensive couple of months of dancing and painting, it was a real joy to reveal the first of a new series of work, at Incognito Dance's Monthly social in Putney last night.
The artwork in question was a particularly special piece, inspired by the wonderful Jeff Tarpinian and Mia Amorbaila who have done so much to encourage and support me as a dancer, teacher and artist.
They didn't know I was working on this painting of them and this is the moment they saw it for the first time!
I will soon be sharing the time-lapse of this painting, along with other dance inspired works, all of which will be on display for the first time at my upcoming exhibition 'Performers in Paint' at Putney Library from the 14th June - 15th July, in collaboration with my friend and fellow artist Stella Tooth
For all the info about this click the WAF 2023 button below.
For more info about Jeff & Mia and all that the wonderful Incognito Dance company do, click the INCOGNITO DANCE button below
Also, in case you were wondering, I am all dressed up having just performed an energetic new show with the Incognito Dance Project team . I will be sharing a video of this performance in the near future, so keep watch!
A Special Monthly Social
Come and dance with us at Incognito Dance’s monthly social in Putney tomorrow [27th May]. Have fun with our friendly classes and social AND see our exciting new salsa performance along with a special announcement revealing a a new dance and painting fusion!
An extra special line up! Come join us tomorrow [27th May] at Incognito Dance’s monthly social in Putney!
FUN & FRIENDLY CLASSES
All levels welcome! I’ll be teaching Beginners!
OPEN 7:15pm
BACHATA classes at 7:30 - 8:15pm
SALSA classes from 8:30 - 9:15pm
Party till midnight!
SHOW ALERT
Around 10pm see us perform our new show Aves de Fuego!
HELPFUL INFO
LOCATION: The Dance Lab, 63 Upper Richmond Road, Putney, SW15 2RD
TICKETS: on the door or purchase online at www.incognitodance.com/special-event-at-putney-salsa-club
AN EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT
Combining my art & dance, all will be revealed!
Look forward to seeing some of you there!❤️😊
Turning a dance into Paint
Transforming an inspiring Bachata dance into a dynamic, energetic and romantic painting! Watch a timelapse of my latest work in progress.
What’s the next best thing to Bachata dancing?
Painting it! Here’s little behind the scenes, of another work in progress, for my upcoming 'Performers in Paint' exhibition this June.
Inspired by a beautiful moment from a Bachata show performed by the MG Elite Team at the Los Angeles BKS Festival in 2015.
I've let my imagination run wild, creating a graffiti background with ideas bursting out all over the place! What do you think?
This is one of a few dance themed works I'll be showing, alongside a mix of other performer related pieces. The exhibition will also be featuring artworks by my fellow artist and collaborator Stella Tooth.
EXHIBITION & WORKSHOP KEY DATES
Performers in Paint, Art Exhibition | 14th June - 15th July 2023, Putney Library opening hours, free event
Salsa Dancing Beginners Workshop | 22nd June 2023, 5.30-7.30pm, £12 / £10 concessions
Dance Themed Life Drawing workshop | 24th June 2023, 2-4pm, £12 / £10 concessions
Artist Talk | 29th June, 6-7pm, free, RSVP required
Bookings are now open for the workshops. Availability is limited, so book early to avoid disappointment!
For further info on all the events & to book tickets, click the button below.
This is all part of the amazing Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival which is hosting over 130 lively events across Wandsworth Borough between the 9th and 25th June 2023.
For the full events programme click the button below.
Any Qs, do let me know!
Introducing Albert Houthuesen
Discover who Albert Houthuesen was, how he is such a big influence on my own creative journey, and all the details of an exciting new exhibition of his work, just opened at the Danum Gallery in Doncaster.
I am going up to Doncaster this week to give a talk about Albert Houthuesen [1903-1979].
Who, you may ask, is this?
Albert is an artist who has deeply inspired my own creative journey, but who very few people have heard of.
My father was, throughout his life, an enthusiastic advocate of his work. As such I was brought up looking at and thinking about his art.
As a young man in the late 1960s, my father visited Albert weekly in Camberwell, to interview him about his life. This two year project resulted in a book called Walk to the Moon, which transcribed and compiled these conversations into a narrative, telling Albert’s story in Albert’s own words.
These words have and continue to provide a helpful anchor to me through my own quest to navigate life and art.
I also wrote about Albert for my university dissertation, looking at how dance became a powerful influence in the development of his painting. As you can imagine, this is something that strongly resonated with me. As did his general love of beauty and sense of wonder at the world around him.
After my father passed away in 2018 my family and I picked up where he left off, working closely with the Albert Houthuesen Trust to help raise Albert’s profile.
It is therefore with great pleasure that we can announce an exciting step forward in this endeavour.
After a 4 year dialogue with the Friends of the Doncaster Museums and the Danum Gallery, Library Museum, a new exhibition has opened celebrating Albert’s life and work.
The exhibition will run until 15th April 2023. For more information please click the button below:
A New Work in Progress
It’s official I am taking part in this years Wandsworth Art Fringe Festival in June; collaborating with the wonderful Stella Tooth to put on a joint exhibition entitled Performers in Paint! In this week’s post, I'm sharing a behind the scenes glimpse of a new work in progress, that will eventually feature in this show.
This week I have been finalising my registration for the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival [9th-25th June 2023].
I'm very excited to be collaborating with the wonderful Stella Tooth where we will be celebrating the theme of Performers in Paint, in a joint exhibition at Putney Library! More details to come over the coming weeks!
In the meantime, here is one of the things I am working on for the show, a magical street mime I saw one Edinburgh Festival.
She is also a happy nod to another festival currently in full swing, the Venice Carnival. Something that has been on my radar forever, but that, as yet, I've never managed to get to; a trip for the future perhaps!
Who are the performers that have captured your imagination?
The Troubadour Story
Discover the story behind my painting of The Troubadour. Watch a little video revealing the source of inspiration for this artwork.
The Troubadour (oil on canvas, 70 x 141 cm) is another street performer inspired artwork, where the characters within the painting turn into an allegory about love. Watch the video to hear how this all came about.
This painting is currently on show at my exhibition in Putney Library, on until the 15th July.
For full exhibition details or to find out more about this painting, click the buttons below.
My Exhibition is Now Open!
My show is now open to visit at Putney Library, watch a behind the scenes glimpse of the set up!
I am happy to report that my new exhibition ‘Art That Tells Your Story’ is now officially open to visit at Putney Library.
I set everything up on Monday and have put together a mini overview of the day for a behind the scenes glimpse (see below).
Full exhibition details, including general opening times & the days and times I will personally be about, can be found by clicking the button below.
Kovu's Story
Discover the story behind my portrait of Kovu - just one of the paintings to feature in my new exhibition at Putney Library, opening tomorrow!
Today I'm spotlighting my portrait of the lovely Kovu.
I worked closely with Kovu’s owner Amy to get to the heart of his story, exploring his character and passions as well as the special points of reference in Amy and Kovu’s relationship. His portrait was a celebration of all these things.
The reference image we decided upon, with his lion-like locks, was the perfect nod to the origins of his name, inspired by the character from Lion king 2. The mini tennis ball and paddle board hanging from his collar also paid tribute to two of his favourite pastimes.
The beaded collar, a special gift from Amy’s father in Kenya, and usually hidden by Kovu’s fur, was placed centre stage as an imagined addition to the strap of his body harness. Finally, the date 22.11.20 was added to the disc at his collar to commemorate the day Kovu joined his family.
Come and take a look at this portrait in person at my new exhibition, opening tomorrow at Putney Library!
For all exhibition info, click the button below!
Art That Tells Your Story - A New Exhibition
Exciting news about my upcoming exhibition at Putney Library this month. Watch a mini introduction about it with all the details!
My new exhibition is opening at Putney Library next week!
It's on from 15th June - 15th July 2022, featuring storytelling artworks, with a special focus on performers, vintage toys & animals!
It's part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe festival - checkout their line up - there is lots of awesome stuff happening in June!
I'll be at the library on set days & times to chat to people in person & answer any Qs. Click the button below for all the details!!
Any Qs, do let me know! Look forward to seeing some of you there!
Interview at Riverside Radio
Find out all about the interview I did yesterday at Riverside Radio with the lovely Ian Barclay, where we discussed my new exhibitions, vintage toys & the art of telling stories, amongst other things!
Yesterday I had the pleasure of being invited to Riverside Radio for a lovely chat with Ian Barclay on his show Barclay’s Brunch.
We talked all about my upcoming exhibition ‘Art That Tells Your Story’ opening at Putney Library on the 15th June, in conjunction with the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival.
Press the play button below to have a listen (it’s about 11ish minutes) !
For full details about my new exhibition click the button below.
Sandown Toy Fair 2021
Come find me at Sandown Park Toy Fair this Saturday where I’ll be showcasing a mix of paintings, prints and cards. Read on for all the details.
I am very happy to announce an opportunity for a face to face hello at the famous Sandown Park Toy Fair this Saturday.
I have been going to this fair on toy hunts for many years, finding inspirational subjects which I have made many a painting from.
It is therefore with great joy that I take my place amongst the seller’s stands to present a mix of my paintings, prints and cards.
There will also be a special surprise offer for those who came and say hello!
Full Details
WHEN & WHERE :
Saturday 18th September, 10.30am - 3pm
Sandown Exhibition Centre, Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ
TRAVEL
BY CAR: Only 5 miles from junction 10 of the M25 Motorway. Follow the brown direction signs to Sandown Park. From central London take the A3 to Esher. There is free parking for 6,000 cars on site.
If using a Sat Nav you need to enter the address as Portsmouth Road, Esher, as the postcode will direct you to the wrong entrance
BY TRAIN: Nearby Esher Railway Station is only 20-30 minutes from London Waterloo, Victoria and Clapham Junction Stations.
ADMISSION PRICES:
Adults | £6.50
Senior Citizens | £6
Children | £2 (under 5s free)
Early Entry from 8am | £12
There are on-site ATM's, excellent refreshments and lots of free parking.