Oil Painting
Suzanne Barrett
Suzanne is a contemporary landscape artist living by the bay in Brisbane, QLD. Through abstract and expressionist techniques, she explores the relationship between human experience and the natural environment
Artist Profile
Suzanne is a contemporary landscape artist based in Brisbane, QLD. With a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and a qualification in Visual Art teaching, she has a solid foundation in the arts. Growing up near the beach in Western Australia, Suzanne has always felt a deep connection to the coast. It’s no surprise that she now lives and works from her home studio in Brisbane’s bayside, close to the water.
In recent years, Suzanne has returned to her art practice full-time. She began her artistic journey in Western Australia as an interdisciplinary artist, but her passion for painting has always remained central. Her current work focuses on the layering and blending of colours in the paint medium, a technique that she feels best captures the ever-changing atmosphere and tides of the bayside landscapes that inspire her.
Artist Interview
What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
I mainly work in acrylic paint as I love how versatile it is. However, there is something about oil paint that acrylics can't quite achieve so I am also known to paint a few pieces in oils when I feel like slowing down and taking my time with a piece.
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
I mainly start my new body of work out on location, creating plein air sketches, paintings and taking reference photographs. I then take them into the studio to expand on the ideas and create work in my sketchbook before painting onto canvas. Sometimes my work will be a one off, but most times I produce a body of work from the same inspiration as I work through my ideas more and make further developments on an initial concept.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
I work in my home studio, near the bay in Brisbane. My daily walks along the waterfront nearby inspires my painting and I am drawn to the changing landscape along the coast, feeling very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of Brisbane. The room in my house that I chose to have as my studio is one side of our large garage, where I can make a mess without worrying about the consequences. You will often find one of my bulldogs sleeping at my feet as I paint, dodging paint splatter and water jars which I often knock over by accident!
Career Highlights
- Having work chosen as finalists in 2023 and 2024 for the Aspire Gallery Foot Square competition
- Having work chosen to be a finalist in the Queenscliff Art Prize 'Art On The Pier' Exhibition (2025)
- Becoming a featured artist on Bluethumb Art
