Meet the Cork woman who wants to put joy in the picture

Home Editor Eve Kelliher talks to artist and photographer Sue Nelson

Sue Nelson, artist. Picture: Miki Barlok

Building relationships in the workplace is what artist and photographer Sue Nelson thrives on.

A former engineer, the Cork woman completed the fabled “pivot” during the pandemic — to pursue her dream.

But paradoxically she discovered working solo wasn’t everything it was cracked up to be. “The magic happens when you are together in a group,” Sue tells me. “Also from a mental health point of view — being in a shared space is positive.”

'Life is the Journey', Sue's rendering of Cork's Daly's Bridge (the Shakey Bridge).

Working at home and in a business space both have pluses, she adds but concludes: “You have to find yourself again and how your productivity works and find the ideal combination. But working in a group — that is the biggest thing I miss.”

Sue, from Ballygarvan, is putting her two decades in offices to use and has been consulting with companies on creating better environments for their employees via art. “Since I’ve been working as an artist and photographer I have sold paintings through galleries to many corporate collections and other companies,” she says.

Echoes of the Dockside by Sue Nelson.

“And I’ve discovered there are so many companies struggling to welcome people back to the office.

“Working from home is ideal for so many of us, not having to deal with traffic and childcare.

Sue Nelson, artist. Picture: Miki Barlok

“But for me, having had 20 years in the workplace, I love working with people and working with teams. The magic happens when people are together.”

Sue advises businesses to “create spaces where people want to be in”. “Those are the collaborative zones that people want to spend time in and those are the spaces where people often end up solving a problem!” she says.

The Marina, Blackrock, by Sue Nelson.

Often local art does the trick. “People can be sitting down in the corridor and art, whether it’s a depiction of a familiar local spot or otherwise, sparks connections and creativity and even just acts as a conversation-starter.

“I think people have trouble now after years of working at home or on their own of just making casual small-talk.”

Sue set up Sue Nelson Designs and now mainly works from home in Ballygarvan, a home she shares with her husband Derek and their children Zara, 15, and Rhys, 10.

“I truly believe that art has the power to transform workspaces, inspire connections, and enrich lives. As companies strive to cultivate inclusive and inspiring workplaces, the significance of integrating local art into corporate environments cannot be overstated,” she adds.

“Research shows that exposure to art in the workplace can enhance creativity and innovation as well as increase productivity and overall well-being at work.”

Sue works independently with commercial clients and also partners with other organisations that sell to commercial and corporate clients. “My fine art photography, which I sell under the name of Sue Nelson Designs, has been hugely popular with both individuals and corporate clients as both workplace artwork and as corporate gifting. Happy clients include Adare Manor, PWC, University College Cork, Mortgage Navigators, Macom Technologies, Network Cork and many more,” she says.

Sue also loves focusing on residential projects. “I have completed bespoke commissions for both modern builds as well as refurbishments of older Victorian homes,” she says.

“It’s very important to me to build a strong collaborative relationship with my clients and I work closely with them to ensure the commissioned pieces bring them joy and fit seamlessly into their lives and their homes.

“I approached Adare Manor a number of months ago after visiting the hotel for a special anniversary. I really felt by collaborating with the resort I could create some truly bespoke pieces that would showcase the magic of the hotel and the grounds. I was also mindful of the fact Adare Manor will be hosting the Ryder Cup in a few short years and they might be on the lookout for some interesting products to promote this truly unique destination resort. The collaboration has been extremely successful with my exclusive collection, Sue Nelson Designs at Adare Manor, selling very well in its beautiful new boutique and will soon be on sale through the resort website.”

The Cork native often turns photographs into illustrations and enjoys researching locations, for instance when she is creating artwork depicting Horgan’s Quay or Daly’s Bridge (Cork’s Shakey Bridge). “I met an older man at the Glucksman Design Fair and my photograph of the Shakey Bridge sparked so many memories for him. He took out his phone and showed me how he had a photo of his parents wedding day on it — it had been taken in the exact location I had taken my photo,” says Sue.

“He still had it on his phone and it was such a fond memory for him. That wedding photo had been taken back in the 1930s or 1940s. He bought my photograph and it clearly had very fond associations for him.”

Through the Mist in Crosshaven is another work that sparked an emotional conversation. “A man was nearly crying when he saw it. He told me how the spot depicted in my piece reminded him of where he and his judo instructor, who had been one of his best friends, would sit when the friend had been going through his cancer treatment,” says Sue.

“He told me how they would talk about the old days as they sat in that particular spot. He thanked me and said he would buy the picture as the friend had since passed and it reminded him of his pal.

“That’s the big thing with the photographs of familiar locations: They spark memories with — and I’ve heard such lovely stories from people.” Although Sue was passionate about art in secondary school she completed a science degree at university and became a mechanical engineer.

She started her career at EMC then Boston Scientific. “Then covid arrived. I realised I had never scratched the artistic itch. I was a child of the 1980s. there was an idea that there was no money in art,” she says.

“To be truly honest the idea of going to art college did come up when I was 18, but it was such a fanciful, unrealistic notion no one took it seriously including myself. I didn’t know any artists or people working in creative roles, everyone in my world had ‘real’ jobs so I did the sensible thing and went to college, where I studied science at an undergrad and postgrad level. “Afterwards I got a job in the ‘real world’ where I worked for multinationals as an engineer in supply chain management. I met some absolutely wonderful people along the way however I must admit now though that I never felt at home in that world, I always felt I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

“My eureka moment came during covid where I finally understood I needed to pursue and build a more artistic and creative life for myself.”

Sue, who is a self-taught artist, creates landscapes and abstract paintings on canvas and board using oils and acrylics but can also incorporate different mediums and techniques to add texture and layers.

Sue also takes photographs and using digital illustrations reimagines them into works of art in their own right.

There are two sides to her business Sue Nelson Designs: “One is the original art and the other is the photography,” she says. “I want to create artwork that captures the imagination as well as evokes emotions, prints of local landmarks that resonate with employees and clients.”

www.suenelsonartist.com

Instagram.com/suenelsonartist