Susan Hay

Sue Hay | Bloom | 2025

After a successful design career, what inspired you to return to painting and watercolors specifically?

It was actually during lockdown that I eventually picked up watercolours. I’d painted occasionally throughout my design career, but had lost the love for it when work and a busy career took over.

But it was during covid, when I had my son, that I knew my mind needed something that would allow me to switch off. And, slowly and surely I begun to remember my love of THE CREATIVE PROCESS and what being in that state of flow can bring.

“During this tight, anxious time – during lockdown and new motherhood…the deep down calling of an artist started to shout…Each day, I’d have that nagging voice “pick up the paints Sue” and each day I’d ignore it – that voice got pretty loud though and eventually I listened “

Why watercolours?…Well they’d always scared me – I’d always painted in a very representational way, trying to replicate what I saw in front of me and previously the thought of working with a medium that had a mind of its own just felt too much. Looking back it was watercolours because I needed to know that I could let go of control and that things wouldn’t fall apart. In fact watercolours helped me realise that I didn’t need to have a tight grip on what would happen.. I could sit back in flow and let the paints do their thing…realising that my whole world would still be there at the end.

How has your background in branding and graphic design influenced your approach to fine art?

Hugely I’m sure, but it’s very much on a subconscious level really. I know that my natural eye for composition and order on the page has most certainly come from design and my love, understanding  and appreciation of colour has found its way into my art works for sure.

More than anything though I’ve let go of those old rules that come from the strictness of graphic design. I’ve embraced the joyful chaos that watercolours can bring and these days when I paint it’s not from that tight, controlled approach. I paint more what I feel and what feels good. And I think that’s definitely visible in my paintings – that freedom and love of nature.

Your works are full of vibrant color and movement. What role does emotion or intuition play in your creative process?

I’ve kind of touched on this above and I’m a little bit obsessed with what’s called ‘ The State of Flow’ . I’ve delved deeply into Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s work, the psychologist who coined the term “flow state”. And it all fascinates me. I want to understand what we connect to when we’re in that flow state and how to help others do the same.

But, yes emotion is a key part of my painting these days. I’ve always had a love of nature and also a fascination with the Fibonacci sequence. I guess that also plays a big part in my design career too. But nowadays, my painting comes from that place of connection, of flow and of a selfish place of wanting to get more of that ‘flow state’. I just hope that others see joy in my work too.

Sue Hay | Natural Blooms | 2025

You mention letting go of anxiety through painting. Could you describe how painting affects your mental and emotional state?

It’s the ultimate reason I even picked up the watercolour paints and began painting again. I’ve always had a busy mind, throughout my entire life. I guess it’s having a creative brain, but my mind seems to have ideas left, right and center. I’ve been self employed since 2013 and with balancing a business and during lockdown – my mind needed something, just one thing to focus on – watercolours gave me exactly what I need at exactly the right time.

The anxiety of balancing a million and one things in my mind disappeared instantly as soon as I picked up the brush and began painting. It was never about the image, it was about the process, the focus and the ‘doing just one thing’. It eased my anxiety immediately.

And over time, painting watercolours helped me to understand that I could let go of control, and things wouldn’t fall apart. These days I have a small studio at the bottom of my garden and I’ve just taken a studio space in Cardiff too. Which is exciting. But the most important journey I do every day is to find time. Is the 25 steps from my house to my studio.

Because it’s during that short journey that I shed everything stressful in life – like layers of clothes. And as soon as I step inside my studio and pick up a brush – my anxiety eases and melts away. Watercolours saved my life – that may sound dramatic, but it’s true.

Now, my aim is to teach others how it can help them too. Help them to ease anxiety, to experience joy and to let go – if even just a little bit and to allow the focus to be on enjoying that state of ‘Flow’.

What does your typical creative routine look like? Do you follow a schedule or paint when inspiration strikes?

Well, I still balance being a mum, a wife, a business owner, a friend and all of the other responsibilities that most of us have. But art and painting and returning to that place of connection and joy is way up at the top of my list. And when things get too much – art and painting is fundamentally one of my strategies to return to my core and my inner place of peace.

Inspiration strikes all of the time, I only have to be in nature to feel inspired. Finding time to capture it on paper – that’s the challenge.

Nature seems to be a central theme in your work. What draws you to floral and botanical forms?

It’s strange isn’t it…Wasn’t it the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard who said: “Life only makes sense when you look backwards – but it has to be lived forwards”

I choose to study Art & Biology for A level. Why – because I loved drawing and I loved nature and plants. I mentioned above that I’ve always had a fascination with botany and the Fibonacci Sequence. So, I guess my love of flora has always been there. I’m in awe most days that nature constantly creates, without judgement or question. It keeps creating patterns in randomness – it just does what it needs to do to survive. And the colours that nature gives us are just exquisite. How can you not be inspired by nature?

Sue Hay | Spikey Perfection | 2025

How do you balance spontaneity and control when working with watercolors – a medium known for its unpredictability?

Well, this is what I feel pulled me to watercolours originally. To understand that I could let go of control, within my art and within life too. But, that battle of letting go still happens with my painting. I’ve just learnt overtime, I guess that the more I lean into that state of ‘flow’ or ‘letting go’ that’s when the perfect balance of imagination and order happens.