Newsletter #16
[03/2024]
Hi dear friends,
This newsletter is arriving later than I had imagined, especially as I’m only now sharing with you my second solo exhibition that occurred in London at the end of 2023. The winter has had its fare shares of “hiccups” but thankfully my living situation is slowly getting better, and with more headspace (and physical space!) I’m making the most of being able to paint regularly again.
In this newsletter I’m presenting The Pause Before, my second solo show ; sharing how the Winter unfolded and the paintings that happened ; and touching on the precarity of being an artist and the solutions I’m trying to find in order for my practice to continue.
Click on titles / images / links to access the different blogs :)
And if you’d like to go back to previous newsletter, more content and access to my sketchbooks, here it is!
You can find original works through I share on Instagram; and here for commission work or by contacting me directly
The Pause Before
My second solo show, London Nov 2023
Finally sharing with you the latest paintings I presented then, developing how they came to life and how they relate to one another.
I’m also sharing more on the curation and unusual framing choices.
Some pieces are still available, their dimensions, medium and prices are in the catalogue, downloadable below.
A Winter in Wales
After falling in love with Wales in October 2023, I decided to head there in the new year.
I started in North Wales, surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Unfortunately the place I volunteered at was not right and after a very challenging few weeks I had to move on. But I managed to do a few paintings and started using sketchbooks again!
I’ve now moved on to West Wales, where I’ve started renting a studio as this past experience taught me so much about the necessity of prioritising my art. And what a joy it is, being able to develop my practice once again.
Sharing that all and the recent paintings in this blog.
Being an artist: a precarious life
I’ve felt very lucky being able to live off my art since 2020. This said, it has always been with a lot of uncertainty and to a standard that remains very low: to be transparent, my income has been around £6-9K a year, which I’ve tried to make work by living as inexpensively as possible (living in a boat or a van, volunteering in exchange of food or extra shelter…) but even that is no longer enough, and the insecurity of not having any regularly income is making it extra hard too.
I don’t mind working hard and living with little, but there’s expenses I can’t compress: a studio space so I can work (£150/month), food, gas and car insurance. At the moment, I’m not sure month to month I can make it work (and I surely can’t invest anything into my practice on top). I see no other choice but to take a part-time job, which makes me sad because I know it will take time and energy away from my practice. Painting is what I do best, what I’ve trained in and what I work really hard to be good at, it’s where I put my energy and heart. And I’ve seen my art resonates with many of you in beautiful ways (through your feedback, the many collectors of my art, the selections and prizes), but none of that is enough to sustain me at the moment. Beyond exhibition and sales, I’m also really glad to be able to share my work with you for free through this newsletter or social medias, but this does not pay the bill either. My only wish is to keep on doing it, so I need support.
And if I can dream, I’d love for money to not be such a recurring worry month to month that I could actually start focusing all of my energy into painting: developing new bodies of work, having a budget to enter prizes and open call - keeping connected to the art world goes beyond painting, and requires money. Sadly, at the moment being an artist is an expensive endeavour.
I’m writing that to be as transparent with you as possible, and also to ask for your help if you’re in a position to do so. If you have a disposable income, have been moved by my art and would like to support me, I’d very much appreciate donations. And if your help can be regular, no matter how little or big, be sure it would mean the world to me and allow me to keep pouring all of myself into my paintings.
Through the Paypal platform, I’ve set up a donation page. It’s secure, allow-one off donations and recurring ones.
Thank you SO MUCH in advance if you’re in a position to support me.
As always, thanks a lot for reading, for your presence and support year after year,
I hope I’ll be able to keep this newsletter alive for many many years, as a precious platform for my practice to meet you.
There’s so much in me that long to be painted.
Wishing you a beautiful start of Spring.
Hoping that the suffering of the World can stir enough grief and rage in us
in order for us to quickly and collectively create drastic, loving change.
Suzon xx
some tiny magnet paintings that were created for Xmas presents