Sue
Averell

The Painting Process

Sue's paintings are built up, not just painted. She works in acrylic and polymers on stretched canvas, layering paint thickly so that every stroke stands up from the surface and catches the light. That textured, impasto style is what collectors recognise in her work, whether it shows a San Francisco street, a single flower or a sweep of open land. She learned her eye for composition in graphic design and illustration, and it shows in the way she simplifies a scene into strong shapes and bold colour. A city block becomes a rhythm of colour and buildings; a flower fills the whole canvas until it is almost abstract. Commissions follow a careful, step-by-step process. Sue first identifies the subject and the size of the finished work with the client. Before any paint touches the canvas she makes a line sketch to capture the content, and often a full-colour miniature painting that is sent to the client so the real colours can be seen in the room where the work will hang. Only then does she start the large canvas. She takes the time to understand every part of the commission, down to the delivery, and works with professional art handlers so each painting arrives in perfect condition. Sue paints most afternoons in the working studio inside Gallery Sausalito, so collectors can stop by, watch a painting take shape and talk with her about it. For Sue, sharing the process is part of the art.