Sue Hawley - Artist Statement

Sue’s willingness to help those in need, the inspiration for many of her works, and her own strength of mind to “illuminate the dark”, sprang from her early experiences in Bosnia as a United Nations peacekeeper. Her acquaintance with the darkness became not only an expression of anguish over the injury to both human and earth, but her attempt to put a vision to, or a “snapshot” if you like of the unresolved wickedness that she has been witness to. Over time, the career air-force woman has been utilizing her art to convey a more “earthy” message.

Sue is now studying sustainable environments leading to self-reliance in food, shelter and energy. She says the subject of her current art is to communicate hope, dreams and a destiny for the people of earth and speaks of peace and the power of community.

Her paintings are a build up of plaster on wood finished with acrylic paints and texture building mediums. The result is luminous textured surfaces that invite to be touched. Sue occasionally works in encaustic, an ancient method of layering pigment and hot beeswax.