Susan Simonini is a multi-disciplinary, Australian artist (b. 1968), living and working from her home studio in rural Tasmania. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Art from Griffith University and her paintings, prints and ceramics are held in numerous public and private collections.
How did you get into art?
I was that kid who was constantly drawing or making things and my passion for art just grew and grew until I knew it wanted to pursue it as a career.
How would you describe your style? What makes your work special?
My work has always been dominated by colour and shape, and has a strong geometric element, although not in a strict, mathematical sense. My paintings reflect my personality and the joy that I find in life, which is mostly conveyed through the use of colour. 
How do you go about developing your work?
I build up the painting in layers, starting with very gestural, painterly marks and then slowly refine the composition, using those initial layers as a starting point. There is a process of addition and subtraction that is very intuitive and often the finished painting ends up very far from where it started. 
Who or what influences you?
I am influenced by the everyday - glimpses of colours, patterns and shapes that I see randomly on my daily travels, often trigger an idea, that starts a chain reaction of creativity. I am also a student of colour theory, and am always referring to my many books on colour, my favourite being Interaction of color by Josef Albers.
Make us curious. What are you planning to do next?
I have a solo show coming up in April, and after a bit of a rest, I will be creating a new collection of paintings for Uprise Art in New York. I also plan to devote some time to printmaking this year – something I did a lot of in the past. I’m very keen to buy an etching press!
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