Susan Harrison Tustain
Susan’s world-wide recognition has meant her fine art paintings feature in numerous international collections and prestigious books and magazines. Her exhibitions are attended by patrons from many countries as well as from throughout New Zealand. She loves to share the joy of painting with budding artists and professionals alike. Susan’s Watercolor Art Instruction DVDs and Video Downloads are hugely popular, while her international Watercolor Workshops help other artists to reach their full potential.
Susan’s choice of subjects and the naturalistic realism of her painting style enable her to capture more than a subject – she wants the viewers of her work to feel the emotion within the painting. She paints with a sensitivity that creates a compelling connection between the subject, the artist and the viewer. Her passion is fuelled by the excitement of discovering a new subject, then deciding how best to convey her message as a narrative in paint.
Inspired by the stunning works of artist Gustav Klimt, using gold leaf, Susan has used her own ideas and creativity to pursue a new direction: oil painting on 24k gold, silver and palladium leaf. She is incorporating elements of impressionism and surrealism into her paintings and is exhilarated by both the challenges and triumphs painting on gold and palladium leaf can bring.
The Romance of Rose Paintings and Paintings of other Flowers
There is nothing quite as wonderful as being amongst a garden full of flowers. As an artist who loves to feel connected to nature, I strive to capture the delight of a bees-eye view of the beauty within each bloom. Inspiration for my watercolor paintings and oil paintings often begins with a moment where I realize I have held my breath – in delight and intrigue of a magical light, shadows, rich warm colors, folds and graceful form or the sheer delight of all of these things in union with a sumptuous perfume of a favourite flower. I know I have to capture that emotion and awe of nature. I want to help bring the viewers of my work into this special place.
When I draw and paint, I become lost within the work. I begin to feel the warmth of the afternoon sun and can hear the sound of the summer insects as they busy themselves on this glorious day. I become mesmerized by the shards of light as they glisten and emerge from dew drops on the roses or other flowers. They hang precariously, just waiting to roll down the petals and leaves. The painting becomes so evocative that I have to remind myself to resist the temptation to lean in to take in the sumptuous perfume!
For me, this is what my paintings are all about. I want to entwine all of these senses and emotion within my brush strokes so the viewers of my work can be transported to that place, that moment and draw from their own experiences to sense the emotion of being there – in the moment – too.
A note from Susan:
“Welcome to my website. It has been designed for lovers of fine art and for artists who wish to extend their knowledge and passion for painting in a naturalistic realism style.”
