Sue Haseltine

Castle Hill nature reserve, lino cut print

Landscape gallery - Colour / Printmaking - Black and white gallery / Printmaking - Colour gallery / Illustration and florals gallery

I am a painter, printmaker and mixed media artist inspired by the natural world. I gain lots of visual ideas when I'm outside travelling through the landscape. I love the movement and fresh air when walking through the countryside. When I am immersed in nature, the environment brings great inspiration and excitement.

It's the best thing to sit and draw or paint outdoors - feeling the temperature, the weather and visually exploring and recording things around me. I love atmospheric qualities such as the glowing light on rolling hillsides, skies full of dramatic clouds, the vivid colours of trees and wider scenery of great beauty. I draw, collect objects, photographs and remember these scenes, which all feed into future work.

Once I'm back in the studio a new layer of inspiration comes from working with the restrictions and qualities of the materials and processes that seem right for the piece. In my current work I am experimenting with mixed media, using different materials, layering and adding texture and marks.

Commissions and illustrations
As well as my self directed work I also love working with clients on commissions and illustrations. I love the challenge of understanding what my client needs and making pieces that reflect what they have asked for. I hope the outcomes go beyond what my client has dreamed of.

It's the best feeling in the world to deliver the artwork and know that it has met the brief. In the case of commissioned fine art, it is so rewarding to know I have created something that will be treasured and even passed on down generations.

Teaching
As well as being a practising artist, I have a passion for teaching art and passing on the skills of painting, drawing and printmaking. I find it so rewarding to help people express themselves and to see them learn skills and techniques within a wide range of traditional two-dimensional media including watercolour, acrylics, mixed media, linocut, drypoint and collagraph.

I teach a regular painting class on Monday afternoons at Draw Brighton. I also deliver a project class on Wednesday mornings, currently at Starling Studios. The project classes are places where people can develop their own individual pathways within art through painting and printmaking.

Student testimonials
"It's great working in a community with Sue's support as it helps with unblocking and wakes you up. When I am on my own at home there really is no reason not to do some art but setting up at home just doesn't happen. Coming in gives me the incentive to get my paints out and start." MP

"Sue is a great teacher - supportive yet rigorous; unfaillingly sympathetic, positve and constructive; so knowledgeable of media and techniques. No matter your level of experience she finds a good way to help you with what you want to do and to develop you as an artist." MH

"I get support and help with my chosen project and there's lots of space to spread out as well. " DY

"It's good to come here for printing facilities, so it gives me the ability to print and I get Sue's expertise as well." GD

" I know that I've got stuff inside but it's getting it out that's difficult, it really helps being here as it's such a supportive environment" RP

Artists Open Houses 2024 Cherry Tree Bungalow
It was so wonderful to open my home for the Artists Open Houses in May 2024. I loved having all our wonderful artists in my home and welcoming all our lovely visitors. It was surprisingly busy, it was non-stop in fact! It felt like a great success on all fronts..

New for Open houses 2025
For this year coming, I have moved house, so we will be opening in a new venue but under the same name. I have moved back to the north of Brighton to Larkfield Way. I hope to open the house for next year's festival and join the fabulous Five Ways trail.
Can't wait!