Susan Harrison Tustain-‘À Côté de la Fontaine’ (beside the fountain)

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.