A Flower for the Sun

There’s something unapologetically bold about hibiscus flowers—the way they open wide, almost theatrical in their display, then vanish just as quickly. That fleeting confidence is what I set out to capture in 'A Flower for the Sun'. Two hibiscus blooms at their peak, full of movement, warmth, and a little bit of drama.

This piece was painted in acrylic, which suits the layered, deliberate approach I’ve developed over time. I built the petals up slowly with thin coats, allowing the undertones to breathe through - soft purples, hints of yellow, touches of white where light would naturally fall. The blue background, rich and solid, was a late decision. I wanted the flowers to feel lifted, luminous, almost floating.

Stylistically, I’ve always admired Gauguin for his bold use of colour and confident forms and you’ll see some of that here in the saturation and composition. There’s also a quiet nod to O’Keeffe in the scale and focus - zooming in close, letting the viewer really sit with the flower’s structure.

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Sue Roberts trained at the Cambridge College of Art and Technology, where she received a Diploma in Visual Art before moving to London to work as an illustrator and graphic designer.

After relocating to Sydney with her husband and young family, Sue stepped away from professional practice for a time. When she returned to the studio, it was with a renewed focus and a commitment to further study. She completed diplomas in painting and printmaking at Hornsby TAFE, followed by a Bachelor of Fine Art Sculpture from the National Art School in Sydney.

Working fluidly between painting and sculpture, she has been widely exhibited and is held in private and institutional collections. Her accolades include the Kooindah Waters Acquisitive Sculpture Prize and the CCAT Travel Scholarship. She has been recognised across a range of juried exhibitions, including the UWS Sculpture Exhibition, Sculpture in the Vineyards and the Ewart Art Prize.

Through shifts in geography, disciplines and life stage, Sue has continued to follow a central thread: an enduring fascination with landscape - not just as subject, but as memory, emotion and elemental force.

Much of Sue’s practice is grounded in close observation of the natural world - echoing the contrasting topographies of both hemispheres: her early years in the rolling hills of northern Englands Lake District to the bold and often rugged forms of the Australian bush. Acrylic is her primary medium, though she moves fluidly between materials, allowing each piece to dictate its own process.