Sue Arrowsmith

Artist statement

My earlier works were composed of dense masses of parallel lines, drawn across a flat surface with a ruler - they were purely abstract. After some years I realised I wanted to work from reality. Now, all my source images are photographed from the natural world and then projected. Trees, plants and scrubland provide endless subject matter, although I still employ similar principles in my work as when they were abstract.

I am not interested in making 'pretty pictures'. Marks are placed together, single gestures creating textures and rhythms. Large paintings of willows are made with single brushstrokes, brushes chosen for the size of the job. Watercolours are made horizontally, the paper flooded with wet black allowing the paint to seep and flow whilst retaining a level of control. My drawings are traced in a single motion, out of focus areas treated exactly the same as areas of clarity.

Whilst I am beguiled by nature and all its beauty, it merely serves as the perfect motif so I can explore painting and drawing.