Interview: Susan Hurrell Fieldes

For those of you that like monoprinting,
here is a NZ Printmaker that you will enjoy:
Who are you? 
Susan Hurrell Fieldes 
I am a printmaker, living in Auckland, new Zealand. 
I was introduced to printmaking 30 years ago. 
I went back to school as an adult student 
to take university entrance and bursary art,
printmaking was part of the curriculum. 

I’m trained as a music teacher,
though these days I spend most of my time working on my art.

Susan Hurrell Fieldes
Artist in residence, Carmel College, 2011
What is your favourite thing about printmaking? 
From the very start, printmaking felt just right. 
It was like coming home.
Now, it’s who I am, I can’t not do it!
To go into my studio each day,
to smell the smell of the work, 
it’s where I live.
My determination is to be the best printmaker I can possibly be. 
It’s my passion!
  
Susan Hurrell Fieldes, #30 from the series "Layers of Her", 2011
Monoprint

Describe your most memorable printmaking moment
This year I was fortunate to have two solo shows:
one in Wellington, the other in New York. 
They reinforced for me that I was an artist.

Susan Hurrell Fieldes, #38(NY#1) from the series "Layers of Her", 2011
Monoprint
What/who influences your work? 
Initially it was the prints of Jim Dine that inspired me. 
I loved the way he turned “the right way to printmake” on it’s head. 
He used whatever was at hand to make marks: power tools, hammers. 

Right now, most of my work is monotype prints. 
This world was unlocked for me by Ron Pokrasso.
I feel this was when I came fully alive as a printmaker.
I am also inspired by the work of Antoni Tapies. 

Each year I travel to New York to work with two master printmakers, 
Kathy Caraccio and Dan Welden.
I’m exposed to a huge variety of print work 
and this can’t help influence and stimulate me. 

Susan Hurrell Fieldes, #16 from the series "Layers of Her", 2011
Monoprint

Can you offer a small piece of printmaking advice? 
Perhaps the main thing I’ve learned in New York is 
that there is no one way to make a print,
every artist needs to find their own path 
and speak their own voice.



Susan Hurrell Fieldes2011
Monotype print
"The body of work around this comes from 
the photographs I took in my last trip to NY in April.
The street art fascinates me; the graffiti, the etchings in the footpath, on the roads,
the crumbling pedestrian markings, the smells, the noise...mostly, the energy."

You can see more of Susan's work on her website:

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