Art with an Edge

 

Naïve art is any form of visual art that is created by a person who lacks the formal education and training that a professional artist undergoes. However, though she describes herself thus, Waipu’s Susan Edge, with many years of ‘art’ in her repertoire, is hardly naïve though if that means taking her subjects literally then it’s something she achieves with a rare ability showing a lighter, brighter side to many of her works.

Susan began working with fabrics in 1980. Her inventive and light-hearted fabric/collage wall-hangings sold throughout New Zealand and abroad. After 30 years, and tiring of fabrics, Susan took to painting.

Still employing the elements of her witty wall-hangings, Susan now paints in two styles, naïve and surreal, using acrylics on canvas. Her acute observational skills are employed in the naïve paintings, depicting the essence of life in New Zealand. The surreal paintings display a quirky humour and are often a little cryptic carrying some wry social commentary which brings them alive with vibrant colours, activities and places that we know and love and which can carry special elements of personal endearment within their special effects.

“I don’t have a great eye for perspective but I have a good imagination and I’m good at drawing straight lines,” says Susan admitting her best friend is ‘Google Earth.’

“I ‘drive’ up and down the road which allows me to view my subjects from every angle as I pick out the most salient points of small towns and beachside villages which say something special to me,”she adds.

She also enjoys doing commissions whether places or pets, of which she has done a number, as many carry memories of special places and things and elements of personal emotion.

Susan will be exhibiting both paintings and fabric works each Saturday during December and January from her home studio in Waipu.

As Susan only exhibits once a year at the NZ Art Show in Wellington this is a great opportunity for art lovers to browse at their leisure

STYLE: Quirky humour and bright colours feature in many of Sandra Edge’s artworks.