Sue Martin is a freelance artist specialising in portraiture and has illustrated books, produced work for CD covers and has had work published as Limited Edition prints. She is renowned for her detailed coloured pencil drawings but also likes to work in oils and watercolours.
After graduating from Art College in Bristol in 1980 with a BA Hons in Ceramics, Sue returned to her true passion of drawing and found herself developing skills in coloured pencil techniques. She moved to the village of Singleton, West Sussex, in 1983 and gained a reputation as a portrait artist.
Her work was used in promotional publications by the renowned Swiss artist material manufacturers Caran d’Ache and for advertisements and packaging for the UK’s Derwent range of art products. She demonstrated Caran d’Ache art materials to Art Societies throughout the South East.
In the mid ’90s Sue produced a series of 9 watercolour paintings entitled ‘Music Studies’ – inspired by musical instruments. The series was published by Cambrooke Fine Art Publishers Ltd. as limited edition prints; the first 6 paintings in the print series (an edition run of 850 per print) sold out within 18 months.
After gaining her teacher’s certificate, Sue became an associate lecturer and specialist drawing tutor at Chichester College (Further Ed) and from 1998 – 2002 was one of principle tutors on the pre-degree Btec Foundation course. She also ran the GCSE Art course and City & Guilds Life Drawing qualification.
In 2002 Sue’s love of music and its allure influenced her decision to leave teaching, but carry on producing artwork, to join forces with her husband – a music agent and promoter, to become co Director of ‘Roots Around the World Ltd’ bringing quality live music acts to rural West Sussex.
‘Roots around the World’ received funding from Arts Council England (South East) and local authorities for a number of years, supporting an extensive programme of world music concerts but the workload, and Sue’s enjoyment of working within the music business, meant her artwork took a back seat.
In 2005 Sue was successful in obtaining substantial funding to devise and deliver a two year groundbreaking educational music and dance programme called The Dialog Project, working with ‘World Music’ musicians and choreographers, music and dance workshop leaders, large venues, schools, teachers, a film maker, a wonderful support team and hundreds of young people!
Following divorce from her husband in 2012 Sue became sole Director of Roots Around the World Ltd and continued promoting gigs and concerts in the Chichester area. It wasn’t until 2016 that she decided to get back to her drawing board, and musicians and performers became her subject matter – as you’ll see in her portfolio of portraits.
Sue spends most of her time now in her new studio, creating work for potential exhibitions and working on commissions. When Covid 19 lockdown hit us all in March 2020 with no live music happening Sue began to take her camera with her on her regular walks over the South Downs where she lives. She’s discovered a new passion in Wildlife photography. Her captured images of Hares have inspired her recent oil paintings.