briefly...

I paint in watercolours, acrylics and mixed media.  Right now, I'm steering my paintings towards improving ocean awareness.  I've spent most of my adult life in Jamaica, so I paint my tumbling tropical garden, faces full of character and the Caribbean reefs.  I add atmosphere with ambiguous passages of texture and light, or colour and pattern.  I want people to feel connected with and protective of our natural world.

I lead workshops, give talks/demos to art groups, take commissions and guide painting trips to the Caribbean.

Artist’s Biography

2020

Susan Clare (b. 1959) 

Susan Clare paints in watercolours, acrylics and mixed media, drawing inspiration from Jamaica’s tropical environment, where she made her home for over 30 years and, more recently, from the English countryside of her native South East Essex.  Moving home has renewed her awareness of the subtle colours and fresh charm of her Essex surroundings.  The themes in her work span two continents, but in common, they encourage mindfulness and a reverence for life in its natural, graceful simplicity.  

A full time artist since 1997, Susan started painting traditional realistic watercolours and specializing in portraits.  Latterly, she has added an exciting range of contemporary acrylics, both figurative and abstract, to her repertoire.  She has exhibited in many solo and group shows in Jamaica, Florida, London, (including the Mall Galleries), Chelmsford and The Beecroft, in Southend-on-Sea, Essex.  She was the resident tutor at the Butterfly Arts studio in Terling for four years and runs her own fortnightly workshops at HOFS in Hadleigh, Essex, during the summer months.  She also runs full day workshops for the RHS Hyde Hall and for the SAA.  She is available for talks and painting demos for art clubs.  In future, her aim is to have her work play some influential part in protecting our natural heritage, to encourage deep connection with the environment and have fun exploring creativity and conscious awareness.

Her work is at JMMB Investment Bank in Montego Bay, the World Bank in Kingston, Jamaica, the Grandhotel-Lienz, Austria and can be found in private collections in Jamaica, the Caribbean, England, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and Iceland.

AWARDS

In June 2018, I was awarded Winner in two categories of the SAA Artist fo the Year 2018 (Animal & Wildlife and Waterscenes, Boats & Seascapes)

In May 2018, my acrylic painting of fish, "Grunt on the Reef" was exhibited at the Mall Galleries in the Finalists Exhibition of the David Shepherd Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Artist of the Year.

In 2017, my cityscape, "London Transport", was Highly Commended by the Artist Magazine Artist of the Year judges.

My acrylic portrait, "Moody Teen" was awarded Commended by the SAA Artist of the Year 2017 judges and my painting was exhibited with the winners exhibition at SAA HQ and the NEC in Birmingham.

I was thrilled to be amongst 50 finalists of 'Artists & Illustrators' Artist of the Year, exhibiting in January 2017, as my debut appearance at the Mall Galleries, London W1, with my painting River in the Reeds II.

Two of my paintings won awards from the SAA, 2016: Professional Artist of the Year for 'Teasels at Hyde Hall', and Best Professional Wildlife & Animal category for my cat painting, 'Sylvesta'.

PRESS