Sue Bartlett

Sue Bartlett - Mini Cupcake

Sue Bartlett - Landscape

Sue Bartlett - Glass Flowers

Statement

Sue Bartlett studied at Thames Valley University, Reading and graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art in 2005.

She now works from a studio in Mortimer, Hants and regularly exhibits work in UK.
Sue Bartlett comes from a family of makers, parents, grandparents and siblings who made their living as furniture makers, seamstresses and french polishers. The familiar scents and textures of their raw materials were part of her childhood and she felt that although their 'art' was their occupation, there was still a deep fulfilment to the 'making' and producing the extraordinary out of the very ordinary.

It is this fascination with the process of making and the experimentation of materials that Sue Bartlett brings to her own work, producing colourful, abstract wax pieces that are tactile and have been described as 'organic' and almost 'edible'. She enjoys the idea that they appear to be spontaneous and gestural and yet are very carefully considered both in the choice of shape and form and of colour.

Sue Bartlett's work is innovative, using materials that have existed in art for hundreds of years but with a unique slant.

Sue's bold semi-abstract paintings take the essence of the flower in the drama of shape, colour and texture. The medium of wax and a glossy glass resin allow Sue to exaggerate this natural beauty to brilliant effect.

Sue Bartlett's works have an energetic quality they appear to be spontaneous due to the expressive way the wax has been applied however they hide careful consideration of shape and form.

The colour is vibrant and direct, the way the wax is applied ensures that the integrity of colour is retained thereby creating a drama of it's own on the painting surface. The medium gives each canvas a distinctive, almost ‘edible' texture and a three dimensional quality.

Exhibitions

2008 ‘Pausias Passion', Solo Show, Sarah Wiseman Gallery

Affordable Art Fair, London, Sarah Wiseman Gallery

Glasgow Art Fair, Sarah Wiseman Gallery

Bristol Affordable Art Fair, Sarah Wiseman Gallery

2007 Sarah Wiseman Gallery Mixed Exhibition

Bristol Affordable Art Fair, Sarah Wiseman Gallery

Autumn Affordable Art Fair, London, Sarah Wiseman Gallery

Christmas Exhibition, Sarah Wiseman Gallery

Care Advice

Wax paintings stand the test of time. You can see portraits in the British Museum that are still intact and some are believed to be over 2000 years old.

One question that is often asked is ‘will the wax melt?' Beeswax melts at around 150 degrees centigrade, giving rise to one artists comment: ‘if the wax painting is melting, there isn't a problem with the wax… your house is on fire!'

Wax does prefer heat to cold however, and it can happily withstand heat generated from lighting, but at the opposite end of the scale, it doe not like freezing temperatures. It is preferable not to place the piece directly in front of a sunlit window on an extremely hot day as, like with all paintings, fading could occur.

One of the beauties of the wax is that it is very tactile and, while it looks fragile, is actually quite robust. A natural resin is added to the wax, which allows the wax to harden even further over time.

Like any painting, it is susceptible to damage from a hard knock. Should this happen it can easily be repaired. Obviously, once hung, the painting is perfectly safe.

Lastly, if necessary, the painting can be cleaned with tepid water on a damp cloth and polished afterwards. Finger marks on canvas can be erased gently with a baby wipe.

Sue Bartlett