Shirley Sutton

Shirley Sutton's watercolours reflect her inspiration from the Wellington beautiful harbour vistas to the characterful houses that cling to the hills around the city.

Art became her primary focus in 2005 when she started painting full-time. She has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions both in New Zealand and overseas and is a competent tutor in watercolour and oil.

Over a three year period she painted her way around Europe in a camper come art studio, following in the footsteps of some of the great masters. Shirley described herself as a contemporary impressionist and likes to create lively paintings with texture and mood winning prizes for her work both in New Zealand and overseas.

Conversation about Shirl - Shirley Sutton

by Claire Clark with thanks to Dana Jackson

Our Shirl had a sudden, and totally unexpected, battle with the big C and in January the watercolour world lost one of the most gentle souls and a truly talented artist and teacher.

Shirley was a beautiful person inside and out. I was thrilled to capture her glowing with pride in this photo that I had tucked inside my copy of her book My European Sketchbook. Shirl launched her book amongst friends in 2012. This book is one of Shirleys greatest achievements and a legacy for her family. The dedication reads For my Mother Vivienne Sutton, on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Thank you for passing on to me a love of art and the appreciation of beauty in all things and for Dana Jackson, my travel companion and a true friend. These dedications recognise important influences in Shirls life - art, beauty, nature and friendship.

I visited Dana and as she leafed through the book, she reminisced about her friendship with Shirl and their art adventures around Europe in Victory, their motor home over several trips between 2007 and 2010. She explained that to know Shirl is to understand that she was driven to do her art and made the most of every moment. Her hands were never still as she sketched, painted, knitted, sewed or gardened. She had excellent time management and completed every task. As a young Mum she would set her easel up inside her childrens playpen. It meant she could paint undisturbed yet keep an eye on the children playing around her. Shirl was no frills and down to earth which were qualities that people loved in her as a teacher too. With Shirls uncluttered life Dana found this translated into them both living and eating simply and healthily as they travelled in Europe. Of course this regime changed if they sold a painting. Then they would use the proceeds to happily go out for dinner.


Shirl wrote that this period of her life in Europe was a time that broadened her knowledge and technical ability as she loved to paint and sketch en plein air.

Shirl, usually matter of fact, was moved to write that every day could bring the thrill of discovering exciting places to paint which would stretch her limits as an artist and afford her inspiration in every turn. She expressed her passion for her art in several ways. It was her quest to capture a unique sensation or atmosphere, to develop her personal response to her love of the landscape with its many moods and to get down on paper her feeling of the place and the memory of being there. She wanted to catch the magic of a sunlit valley or the waves rolling in along the beach, and scenes from the rich ochre and sienna colours of Tuscany to the turquoise seas and coastal cliffs of Normandy.

She was excited by everything from the rich tapestry of the countryside to the brilliant colours, textures and vibrancy of the cities.

With Andrea Bocelli playing in the motor home Shirley and Dana followed the paths of many artists. Van Gogh featured from Holland through to the south of France and his final resting place in Auvers-sur-Oise where the delicate blue iris bloom.

They visited the studio of Paul Cezanne in Aix - en - Provence, where he created dozens of masterpieces, especially of the nearby Mont Sainte-Victoire.


Shirl absorbed it all and kept artist notes with all her paintings. Years later these became material for her book. So with such wonders around her Shirl set about sketching and painting at every moment. She filled sketchbooks full of visual memories as she and Dana painted in fields, lanes, towns, cliffs and mountains. From this period of her career she created a large oeuvre of European studies which demonstrate her depth of talent in perspective and composition and her ability to transform a special place and mood into a unique painting using rich colours and textures.

Shirleys caption for this painting reads In Ljubijana we climb the castle tower and look out across the spires of the city below to the blue mountains beyond. The river with its many ornate bridges snakes through the heart of the city. One bridge is protected by mighty dragon statues at either end.

Artist days and friendships

Shirley and Dana threw themselves into a packed schedule of artist days and exhibitions across France and Italy. They had fun and met a wealth of talented artists who would gather to enjoy painting en plein air. They made long term friends through art. When their journeys ended in 2010, with the theft of their motor home, it was these friendships that provided solace, support and ultimately their last exhibition which was held in Alberobello, southern Italy. Amongst these friends is Guiseppe Petrella, who is a celebrated guitarist in Italy. On hearing of Shirleys passing he dedicated his latest recording track to her. It is a peaceful, haunting and very beautiful melody.

Splash 3

In 2007 the Watercolour New Zealand Committee recognised that Shirley and Danas travels were producing exciting art works and their return in November could see them bubbling with stories and new works to exhibit. They were delighted to be asked to be guest artists at Splash 3 to be held in Shed 11. Their homecoming became a dash to the framers and then onto the opening night. Their exhibition was a great success.

Shirley made notes on Beynac. The medieval village of Beynac is built against a perpendicular cliff with its castle perched high above. We park out of town, walking back alongside the mighty Dordogne River. The midday heat is so intense. Crazy stone houses extend out from the cliff face, with haphazard slate roofs and little shuttered windows.

Accolades

Recognition of Shirleys work included awards:

• 2006 - first prize Rotary Art Show at Paraparaumu;
• 2007- first prize Yport France for a painting of the Normandy Cliffs;
• 2008 - first prize Paraparaumu Rotary Art Show, local scene category;
• 2011 - third prize Great Summer Art Exhibition, Mahurangi Art Club, Auckland;

2007 - Watercolour New Zealand Splash 3 Guest artist with Dana Jackson. She represented Watercolour New Zealand at an exhibition in Mexico.

In 2012 painted alongside Jacky Pearson and Dan Reeve in an en plein air display on the Wellington waterfront for the then HRH The Prince of Wales and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

During her career her works were purchased for New Zealand and overseas collections and she exhibited with the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington Art Club, Kapiti Art and Craft Society and during Kapiti Art Trails.

Tutoring and demonstrating

Shirley tutored block courses for Watercolour New Zealand in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and at Monthly painting sessions. When she was rostered as the monthly tutor I appreciated her friendliness, her encouragement which made me feel my efforts were important, and her guidance (not too much) to help me improve my technique. Shirley had that flair to understand what students needed and how to delicately deliver critique. She was an advocate of painting outdoors. She would tell her students painting en plein air that a camera is great for a quick photo, but will never replace your own impressions of a special aroma or a particular light and time of day. Colours, sounds and people all help to form a complete picture of an exotic place which you can record in your own style. A popular tutor for art groups in both New Zealand and overseas she took on a new challenge demonstrating in Italy. She was thankful that one of her students came to her aid as an interpreter, resulting in a lot of fun, laughter and some wonderful art.

Committee work

Shirley joined the Watercolour New Zealand committee in 2006 under the new President Alfred Memelink. She took her role seriously and took action to boost committee numbers. At the next Monthly painting session, as we all relaxed sipping coffee, she eyed each artist up and said Your committee needs you! Whos volunteering?(Thats how I stood for election!)

Wider horizons

When the European touring stopped, Shirley initially turned to Wellington Harbour for inspiration. She wrote that Wellington, with its forever changing light and luminous skies, creates fleeting moments in time. The excitement that comes from trying to capture the essence of such a scene on canvas, with feeling and passion, movement and depth, gets the adrenalin pumping and I get lost in the moment. In recent years her inspiration came from her travels around Australia, the South Island and especially in Northland.

Shirleys garden at Kapiti

In recent years Shirley was painting in her studio and gardening at her home in Tui Crescent, Waikanae. Both featured in Kapiti Garden and Art Trails. She dedicated endless hours and tender care to her garden. It drew admiration from visitors. Shirley had been very moved by the gardens she visited in Europe. Her most special memory had been painting in the garden at Giverny, Monets home near Paris. I have selected this work for its garden aspect. Dana recalled that they held an exhibition in this artisan parapluie workshop at Creully in France. Shirl and Dana swapped their paintings for the craftsmans beautiful umbrellas.