Artist Profile - Sue Maud
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Biography
Sue creates dramatic seascapes using painting and printmaking, (etchings, gum bichromates and cyanotypes) drawing on her sailing experiences to reflect the power and erosion created by the sea. The work tries to create the feeling of ‘being’ and to allow the viewer to experience the elements, strength, terrifying beauty and awesome might of the sea, in conjunction with our own frailty while sailing the oceans. Sue has exhibited in solo shows all over the country winning awards for her work in the Hartlepool Renaissance Exhibition at the Gray Art Galley and the T N Lawrence Award at the International Exhibition, Falmouth in 1999. Her work has also been seen in group shows as far away as Norway and Tokyo.
Artist Statement
My paintings and prints deal with erosion and power, which are often found through experiences with the sea and its many moods, not necessarily from land, but first hand out at sea, sailing the ocean. The work tries to create the feeling of ‘being’ and to allow the viewer to experience the elements, strength, terrifying beauty and awesome might of the sea, in conjunction with our own frailty. I see the sea, combined with people and objects, often out of context in the environment, as a full range of human emotions, each moment reflected in tension, acute sensation, and a release of energy and tranquility. Majestic beauty, which appears to create its own will and power has influenced me greatly, alongside the pursuit; of pratyahara (the drawing of senses from the external world into the interior self). Until recently, my experiences have been confined to sailing in the Northern Hemisphere, but sailing in Thailand and New Zealand with its contrast in colour, textures, movements, people and the devastation and erosion portrayed in a different light, is akin to the complexity which makes up our own human response to life and the way in which we in the environment react. My work comprises of Painting and Fine Art Printmaking, in the form of etchings, gum bichromates and cyanotypes. Much of my finished work combines aspects of both painting and printmaking, including etching. The etching side of my work is slightly untraditional, in that often I erode the plate in the manner similar to the way in which the sea and environment erode. The plate is often printed in a very contemporary and interesting manner, often in combination with other media. My painting is in acrylic and mixed media. My new work, under the title of “The Planet Eroded Power’ emphasizes the speed at which our planet is changing and the way in which the elements seem to respond.