This artist’s paintings bloom amidst the sentimental echoes of her intimate studio. Sara Mumtaz explores the captivating journey that sparks SUSAN SIMONINI’s creations ▸
SUSAN SIMONINI’S ARTISTIC JOURNEY diverges from the traditional narrative of inheriting creativity from a family legacy. While artistry wasn’t a direct heirloom, there was a subtle artistic appreciation passed down from her mother. At the age of eight, Susan discovered her passion for drawing, transforming her sketchbook into a personal canvas. It became a visual chronicle, capturing the vibrant moments of her childhood; from everyday life to special outings and the cherished companionships she held dear.
Born in 1968, Susan completed her Bachelor of Fine Art at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia. Her layered abstract paintings draw inspiration from the varied shapes and patterns found in her daily encounters. Influences stem from the rural landscapes of Tasmania, Australia, her current residence, as well as from her explorations in Japan and Europe. Her continued exploration and love of colour is a constant thread in all her work.
“When I did my degree, I studied across several areas including printmaking, drawing, painting and sculpture. I carried this with me into my career and, to this day, still move between different areas, like collage and ceramics. Each different medium and process requires different skills – and ways of working and thinking – and each activity informs the other.”
Her subject matter has varied over the years, “but always has a common theme of the shapes, colours, textures and patterns that are found in everyday life. Experimentation is important to me; starting a painting with no plan in mind and making lots of mistakes. Gradually, the painting starts to take shape and it becomes a call and response – looking at what the painting needs next – which is a very intuitive process. Play is very important too, and the best paintings are the ones where I lose myself in the sheer enjoyment of painting.”
Susan embraces the intimacy of acrylics on wood for her smaller creations, while boldly commanding stretched canvases to ▸ bring life to her bigger works. “The creation process usually takes several weeks, as the work is quite layered. Sometimes the final image can come together quite quickly and other times it is a bit more laboured, and I will come back to it after a couple of months to look at it with fresh eyes.”
