SUSAN DUGDALE
As a painter, I return constantly to the landscape around me for inspiration. So the river Leven and the willows around the oxbow lake at Crathorne are at the heart of my work.
Drawing remains central to everything I do. I keep sketchbooks both locally and from my travels and include pieces of ephemera that trigger my memory: they are very personal and hugely helpful.
I visited Ethiopia and was overwhelmed by the beauty of the country and the spirituality of the people and their relationship to the land. I returned home inspired and excited by what I had seen and produced a collection of paintings which link back to the sketchbooks I filled on my trip.
Since the pandemic I have been free to spend a huge amount of time painting. I am often told that my style changes but I am always on the move and so is my work. At the moment print is my current obsession. Having been trained to respond to briefs as a graphic designer, I view each new painting as a brief. There is no doubt that if I am sitting in a force 8 gale I paint in a different way to tackling a still life in the studio.
Although I find my work deeply frustrating, I think it is at the core of who I am.
Exhibitions
Malcolm Innes, Walton Street, London – 1988, 1992
Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk – 2004, 2012
The Great Northern Art Show – 2005
Art for Youth North – 2010, 2011, 2014
Pissarro, Chiswick – 2005 and 2007
Bianco Nero Gallery, Stokesley, North Yorkshire – 2009, 2013
Gallery 54, Shepherds Market, London W1 – 2014, 2018