Sam Suttie is a Queensland-based painter whose richly detailed still life scenes, filled with florals, birds and symbolic objects, carry a subtle and enigmatic sense of story. Her work is a favourite with Tyger Gallery visitors, and she held a solo show at the gallery in 2023, When the Lights Go Out.
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Sam Suttie works from her home studio perched on the South Eastern side of Mount Tamborine, Queensland.
Her work mainly depicts elements from nature composed as still life arrangements. These arrangements are created in her imagination with the use of reference material and sometimes three dimensional objects.
She has a keen interest in political, religious, climate and social topics and hopes to incorporate more of these elements into her work going forward.
“When I approach a canvas I am driven by a need to release and process the world around me. Over the last few years I have used the framework of a still life arrangement to contain and maintain focus,” she says.
“My style is relaxed realism that leans towards the surreal.”
“Botanical elements and special guests from the natural world work together to narrate the story I need to tell. These stories are usually inward looking but almost always have a parallel with the world at large.”
“My medium of choice is oil paint on canvas. I started using oil paint in 2019 and a love affair with the medium is still ongoing.”
“I work on a couple of works at the same time, this helps me not to fixate on the technique but rather to get the story told. I am never sure about where the painting is going. I begin a journey with a feeling and paint until I am satisfied.”
