ABOUT SUSAN CLEAVER

 

ARTIST STATEMENT

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Raised on a farm near Queenstown (New Zealand), I grew up surrounded by mountains, water and nature. I have always loved the camera and after some years working in the computer/IT world, I realized the natural symbiosis between photography, creativity, and the digital domain to create fine art.

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I have been creating art from photography for over 10 years, recording the way I view natural NZ and how I want to interpret those scenes. Using Photo Artistry, my works are compiled with multiple images from my own large library of photos.

 

Layered seamlessly, combining composite photography, digital painting, and acrylic painting I construct imagined spaces with an elemental and atmospheric presence. The digital layers are sculpted with light and shadows, colour and liquid form, then unified finally through multiple translucent coloured acrylic glazes. 

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My current series - Bel Canto – “beautiful singing” - reminds me of the dawn chorus: our very own bird opera. If I listen carefully, I can sense each bird’s bright and colourful personality emerging as a character within the Opera, singing or performing its distinct role.
 

I shift colour and move form, releasing the constraints of observed reality and transforming it into a vibrant new state, allowing the essence of each bird to emerge.

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These immersive works glow with vibrant colour, tactile texture, and atmospheric depth, creating environments that feel both familiar and otherworldly.

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