Suzi Kristel
I had the chance to hear from watercolourist Suzi Kristel, who shares her passion for capturing the “intangible” and “transient” moments in her portraiture.
Tell me a bit about your background.
I have always thought in terms of pictures and solved problems by envisioning solutions. As a child, I was at my happiest drawing, painting, creating; generally making something from nothing. I graduated from Falmouth College of Arts and worked as a Graphic Designer managing various projects from concept through to print.I later completed a PGCE at Exeter University and went on to teach in a Design and Technology specialist college where I taught a wide range of design related subjects to eleven-eighteen-year-olds. I also designed and delivered schemes of learning to surrounding Primary schools.
I have since spent time volunteering, teaching adults with learning difficulties, producing design work and facilitating creative workshops. Creativity has been a constant in my life and it has fed into all my secular roles. My art is now taking a front seat and I am feeling at home.
I have lived in various places along the south of England but am currently based in my home county of Cornwall. I am lucky to have the coastline on my doorstep; the pandemic has helped me appreciate I should never take this for granted. I will always crave the creative buzz of a city though!
WiFi Life, watercolour by Suzi Kristel
What is your preferred medium? What do you like about it?
Pencil and watercolour.
All my portraits begin with a pencil drawing. On one hand, pencil provides a freedom to scribble, sketch and play. On the other, it appeals to the perfectionist within me that needs to know I can erase mistakes and improve!
I work predominantly with watercolours. I enjoy being able to build up the intensity of colour gradually. It is a journey of discovery. With each layer of paint, I am getting to know the person more. The more acquainted I become, the more confident and comfortable I am to add more punch and detail. Much as in life, the closer you are to someone, the more you get to know them, the more comfortable you feel in their company. I also like to use watercolour pencils to work in the finite details alongside the paint.
I am willing to use whatever medium I need to achieve the result I am happy with. I have used oil pastels, gouache and acrylic for some aspects of my work.
I am looking forward to exploring oils this year. I hope I will always be in a state of discovery.
Tell me a bit about your background.
I have always thought in terms of pictures and solved problems by envisioning solutions. As a child, I was at my happiest drawing, painting, creating; generally making something from nothing. I graduated from Falmouth College of Arts and worked as a Graphic Designer managing various projects from concept through to print.I later completed a PGCE at Exeter University and went on to teach in a Design and Technology specialist college where I taught a wide range of design related subjects to eleven-eighteen-year-olds. I also designed and delivered schemes of learning to surrounding Primary schools.
No Words, watercolour by Suzi Kristel
I have since spent time volunteering, teaching adults with learning difficulties, producing design work and facilitating creative workshops. Creativity has been a constant in my life and it has fed into all my secular roles. My art is now taking a front seat and I am feeling at home.
I have lived in various places along the south of England but am currently based in my home county of Cornwall. I am lucky to have the coastline on my doorstep; the pandemic has helped me appreciate I should never take this for granted. I will always crave the creative buzz of a city though!
What is your preferred medium? What do you like about it?
Pencil and watercolour.
All my portraits begin with a pencil drawing. On one hand, pencil provides a freedom to scribble, sketch and play. On the other, it appeals to the perfectionist within me that needs to know I can erase mistakes and improve!
I work predominantly with watercolours. I enjoy being able to build up the intensity of colour gradually. It is a journey of discovery. With each layer of paint, I am getting to know the person more. The more acquainted I become, the more confident and comfortable I am to add more punch and detail. Much as in life, the closer you are to someone, the more you get to know them, the more comfortable you feel in their company. I also like to use watercolour pencils to work in the finite details alongside the paint.
No Words, watercolour by Suzi Kristel
I am willing to use whatever medium I need to achieve the result I am happy with. I have used oil pastels, gouache and acrylic for some aspects of my work.
I am looking forward to exploring oils this year. I hope I will always be in a state of discovery.
What ideas are you exploring in your work? What do you like about portraits?
Portraits capture personality and split seconds of thought. They turn the "intangible" and "transient" into a permanent piece of art you can see and feel.
I am driven by emotion and storytelling. Honesty, reality, secrets, souls, traits, idiosyncrasies and unspoken truths fuel my art practice. Everyone has a story and I love to paint it.
I love to paint the moments where people retreat into their own mind; those “off guard” seconds. They are not always easy to capture due to their fleeting nature. These are ‘spontaneous visual notations’ where I think “YES! I want to paint this; it is loaded with narrative!”.
I am drawn to the emotions I recognise in myself. Body language, moods and expressions I feel a connection with which prompt empathy, bringing a sense of comfort or unease.
I want my paintings to demand attention in a thought-provoking way; to create a vacuum where the viewer can consider… Who is this? What are they thinking? Where are they? What has just happened? Are they okay?
I love to tell a hidden story or communicate a powerful message subtly. My work is driven by my desire to say to people, “I see you. I feel you. I hear you.”
Portraits also provide an opportunity for people to express themselves in a way they wish to be viewed. They serve as excellent conversation starters and add an injection of colour and intrigue to any home.
Watercolour from Key Worker Portrait Series by Suzi Kristel
Tell me about your artistic process.
I spend time studying the subject, paying close attention to colours, shapes, light and shade. I consider composition, dimensions, crop, the emotion, relationships evident and background. It is a valuable part of the process that familiarises me with the minute details.
Where possible, I direct a creative photoshoot in person, according to the subject’s personality. Props, specific settings, lighting, expressions can all help to bring the person to the painting.
I take time to draw as accurately as I can, ensuring I capture all key characteristics. I build up layers of watercolour to achieve a punchy depth of colour. As I start adding in highlights and shadows, I start to see the personality emerge!
I use watercolour pencils and graphite to add further marks. Some are scribbly in nature; others are pointed and purposeful. I apply final highlights with white pencil and gouache.
The entire process is very intuitive, and a point always arrives where I stand back and know it is time to stop.
I prefer to focus on one painting at a time. If a portrait is not flowing in the way I would like, I move on to a different one and come back to it. I currently have three portraits in progress!
Can you talk a bit about the evolution of your practice and style?
I think much of my painting evolution is yet to come. I have noticed a definite pattern or set of stages I go through in each painting. I know not to panic too much at certain stages where I know I will be unhappy with my work. There is always a clumsy “unhappy” stage but, gradually and assuredly, I can persevere, trusting the “happy” stage will come.
I would like to pin down some creative ideas I have floating around my mind. Producing more conceptual work really appeals to me. I would like to become freer in the way I work and would love to produce some large scale paintings.
I hope to develop some more generic expressionist portraits where I focus on the overall mood of the painting, introducing abstract elements. Taking on commission work where I can direct the creative approach is something I will be looking to do more of in the future.
Watercolour from Key Worker Portrait Project by Suzi Kristel
Which artists do you look to for inspiration?
I will forever be in awe of the great masters.
I appreciate, and relate to, the sensitivity within the figurative paintings of Jean-Simeon Chardin. His paintings are of relatively simple, humble, domesticated settings which use activities - or props of sorts - to tell the story of life in its time.
I am a fan of David Hockney’s modern, bright style. ‘Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy 1970-1’, is one example of why I love his style; the way his paintings create a sense of unease. They invite us to become part of the scene and we, as a viewer, need to consider whether we would want to be. I look at this painting and wonder what they were talking about before I interrupted them. I love that! That is how I would love some of my figurative work to be. His paintings are of the subtle observations and intimate insights.
Lucian Freud’s work interests me as he has no interest in romanticising or idealizing life. He provides honest representations of imperfect people. I love the real, the honest, however uncomfortable.
Which artists do you enjoy at the moment?
There are some incredibly talented artists! Too many to mention individually.
I love the work of Jonathan Yeo. He presents an accurate representation of the sitter, yet often with an unfinished quality. His portraits are fleeting yet timeless. The fact he is a self-taught portrait artist inspires me and acts as a reminder not all great artists come through from a formal art education.
I adore the work of Chris Guest. The way he works with paint astounds me! I could watch time-lapses of him painting for hours. He embraces the canvas with confidence and seems to effortlessly produce a masterpiece! His art is as thrilling as his process.
I am a huge fan of screen prints. One of my favourite artists is Dave Buonaguidi. His work is quietly very clever. I have huge respect for his story. He embraced a change of direction when it felt right despite spending a lifetime within a different field of work. I also look forward to owning a piece by Magda Archer.
My taste in art is hugely eclectic. I am sure that speaks volumes about me!
No Words, watercolour by Suzi Kristel
Could you also talk about how 2020 has been for you?
I began the year painting portraits of firefighters as a direct response to the Australian bushfires and have not really looked back.
Like many, I initially thought Covid-19 was going to be a temporary inconvenience! I felt determined to use the gift of time on something positive.
I have connected with some incredible creatives online throughout this time, many of whom I now regard as friends.
I started the key worker portrait project to raise money for the NHS, whilst bringing joy to the individual subjects. I wanted to use any skills I had to provide help in some way.
I was interviewed by my local radio station and approached by a local television news channel for a potential feature in the future.
The engagement I have gained has been heart-warming. I have also been lucky enough to meet a couple of the key workers in person. I had never met, or even seen, my postman before the pandemic and now we communicate regularly!
The most celebrated moment from 2020 was being selected for the ArtCan exhibition at The Cello Factory, London. I look forward to attending in person once it is safe to do so.
What is your studio like?
Most of my work takes place on an old, oversized table within my living room which I call “my studio”; that is where I get creative! I dream of having a proper studio but, for now, this arrangement is sufficient, albeit a little claustrophobic!
I like to have all my paints and brushes out to hand, ready to use. I have a fair amount of artwork and positive affirmation pieces around me to remind me never to give up! I would say my studio area is eclectic, full of books and random, quirky items that are there for no other reason than they make me smile and keep me motivated!
Two of my most loved items are my easel and Bluetooth speaker! These help me feel like I am in a “buzzy” studio environment! Although I am happy for my studio to be an evolving ‘creative’ (often messy) space, I would love my home to be somewhere I can relax, switch off and keep tidy. It is a work in progress!
I have romantic notions of producing large paintings in a delightfully spacious, high ceilinged, airy and well-lit studio!
No Words, watercolour by Suzi Kristel
What is the most memorable thing someone has said about your work?
One of the key workers referred to his portrait as “the best present ever” which was lovely to hear!
Dave Buonaguidi – aka Real Hackney Dave - referred to my portraits as “delicious”! I am taking that as a compliment and rolling with it!
One of the most memorable responses I received was when I painted a family portrait for a 70th birthday gift, commissioned by the recipient’s daughters. The painting was of a poignant memory from twenty-five years ago. One of the children within it is sadly no longer with us; it had been a heart-breaking couple of years.
The daughters commissioning the painting live in New Zealand so asked me to arrange bespoke framing, wrapping and the personal delivery of the completed portrait.
When the father unwrapped it, he broke down in tears. When I said, “I hope I have done you all justice”, he said, “You certainly have, you certainly have…it’s beautiful”. It was a real tear- jerker moment! One I will never forget.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a key worker portrait project to raise money for the NHS. Art prints of the completed portraits can be purchased now. Sixty percent of each sale goes to NHS Charities together. Anyone wishing to find out more can find the details in the “Please Donate” highlight of my Instagram account @bysuzik.
I have projects based around the human psyche I would like to develop. Contrasts between the introvert and extrovert natures, the quiet and loud moments, the ‘over the top’ and the understated. Also, exploring the simple connections between humans.
I am taking on portrait commissions. There are also many well-known, characterful individuals I would love to have commission me for their portrait!
I will submit work to a few open calls and stay alert to any opportunities for collaborations.
As with many artists, I would love to exhibit a collection of my work in the future.
You can follow Suzi on Instagram @bysuzik.