Susy Boyer is an Australian painter and illustrator.

“I’ve spent most of my life as a creator and maker of things. From twig people as a toddler, cubby houses as a child, cartoon drawings in my high school Maths book, to giant soft sculptures during art college. And writing…jotting down a constant flow of story ideas. These pursuits inspire me like nothing else, and I’m happy when lost in the comforting world of my imagination.

The second oldest of five girls, I was a sensitive child, average at most things, and struggled to make my mark. To be honest I often felt invisible. Growing up on a hobby farm gave me a valuable close-up view of nature … birth, death and the cycles of life. And living wild, with fairly absent parents gave me plenty of freedom to imagine and daydream, with lots of places to escape to. Nature remains this refuge for me today.

Discovering a natural ability for long-distance running at fourteen was my social savior … strengthening my body and self-esteem at a crucial time. Running became one of my greatest passions and pleasures, and has been a loyal companion ever since. It’s the thing I turn to in celebration or sadness, and is the perfect complement to a life in art which requires many hours of sitting or standing. It’s also an integral part of my creative process… great for consolidating thoughts, inviting new ideas, and visual stimulation.

Drawing and creativity attracted me from the beginning, and I was enchanted by my father’s architecture studio. But without much outside guidance it took a while before I developed any noticeable skills. Not until I finished high school and entered art college did I begin to show my potential. I studied Visual Communication at The Queensland College of Art, majoring in Illustration and Graphic Design, and after graduating spent five years working as a graphic designer for magazine publishers in Sydney and London. After some wonderful years as assistant art director of The Australian Women’s Weekly magazine, a yearning for more drawing time led me to transition to a freelance career in illustration which I’ve enjoyed ever since. I love working in publishing, especially children’s books and have illustrated over one hundred titles, from picture books and chapter books to readers for the educational market. 

Along with illustration, I’ve been an keen writer of children’s stories. This is now coming into sharper focus as I study the craft of writing, hone my skills and pursue publication as an author.

I also relish the creative freedom of drawing and painting my own ideas, and in recent years I’ve been exploring this area more. I work mainly with graphite, coloured pencil, watercolour, and soft pastels for my illustrations, and pastel or acrylic on canvas for my paintings. The subject matter in my work is quite varied as I like to draw and paint the many ideas and random thoughts that constantly course through my head, but nature is a constant theme.

I’m in awe of visual beauty, inspired by passionate deep-thinking people, and knocked-for-six by the brilliance of nature.

I’m totally turned on by colour, it has the power to literally stop me in my tracks. Some of my earliest memories are of brightly coloured objects and pictures that fascinated me as a baby. I’m drawn with delight to the colours of everything around me, and the endless combinations one can make to find a pleasing result. Maybe this explains my quirky attraction to licorice allsorts!

I live and work beside the sea, surrounded by nature in the beautiful semi-tropical region of the northern rivers in New South Wales. My sunny studio is filled with the sounds of the ocean and birdsong which I find both calming and inspiring.

A couple of times a week I step away from my own work and mentor some very talented young creatives. Their focus, dedication, enthusiasm, and imaginative chit-chat is a delight to experience!

Apart from creating art, my interests are writing, reading, design, architecture, photography, movies and film-craft, natural living, nutrition, health and fitness. I enjoy practicing yoga and meditation, and gain most of my inspiration and ideas while running on the beach or bush trails.

If I ponder on my ‘life purpose’ I think it is to use my creative skills to bring more beauty into the world to balance out the ugly.”