Susie Penrose

Susie trained in Decorative Art at The City & Guilds College of Art, Kennington and studied Fine Art at Staffordshire University. She worked in the conservation of wall paintings for thirty years for many of the countries famous houses including Chatsworth, Charleston Farmhouse, Royal Banqueting House and Cafe Royal before going on to paint murals herself.

Her influences are fairly diverse, from Samuel Palmer, William Nicholson, Lucien Freud, Van Gough, Joan Eardley to contemporary artists such as Peter Doig and his dream like paintings. Also Ed Praybe, Andrew James, Tim Benson, Ingrid Christensen, Carol Maguire, Jill Barthorpe, Sarah Manolescue, and the lovely drawings of Curtis Holder.

Susie paints in oils on canvas or board, and at times makes large drawings in charcoal. She works either inside from a still life, or outside directly from the landscape where the whole painting is created in one sitting. This ensures the immediacy of the painting remains firmly with that particular moment in time.

Her studio is in Letheringsett, North Norfolk where she will frequently paint late into the night. She also has a converted van which makes a great mobile studio that can be driven to sites overlooking the marsh and sea and means she can stay over for a few days.

Susie is currently making marsh paintings and has just started working on a theme of the beach at night and swimming in the dark, awed by a starry sky and the sea full of phosphorescence on a summer’s night. She continues to work on the theme of large drawings of birds in flight along with her signature oil paintings of still life featuring copper vessels.

@sues.penrose