SUSAN HARRISON-TUSTAIN
was encouraged to paint at an early age. She was particularly inspired by the rich depth of colour and evocative lighting captured by Rembrandt. Susan’s choice of subjects and the romantic realism of her painting style reflect a belief in the power of beauty to enrich our lives and enhance our positive emotional responses. She is no Pollyanna though and recognises the reality of the depressing problems confronting the world. Nevertheless she sees her painting as a small contribution to counterbalancing these. She wants viewers of her art works to be uplifted and seeks to achieve this by highlighting such delights as the lusciousness of a newly opened rose, the relaxing and re-energising power of day-dreams or the mellowing and calming effect of time-worn books and a glass of fine wine.

Initially Susan painted in oils, but after her switch to watercolours her career as a professional artist really began. Mostly self-taught, she absorbed information about watercolour from any and every source and combined what she learned with her own innate abilities. Without the constraints imposed by formal training she developed her own skill and techniques, pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved by watercolour. Her intent has always been to retain the delicacy of watercolours, but she also builds up multiple layers of fine washes to provide richness and depth when appropriate. An American publisher (North Light Books of Cincinnati) recognised her expertise and Susan’s book ’Glorious Garden Flowers in Watercolor’ was the result. It is a bestseller of its type worldwide and has since been translated into Chinese. She is also in demand as a tutor, with workshops completed or planned in New Zealand, Hawaii, Maine and Oregon.

Recently Susan has returned to painting in oils. Again she was driven to find out everything she could about the medium in order to develop a style to suit the subjects that inspire her. She now switches between the two mediums, enjoying both the challenges and rewards that each presents.