5 MINUTES WITH… designer Susi Bellamy
Living in Britain, America and Italy has given the artist and designer inspiration for her wonderfully vibrant fabrics, wallpapers and accessories
HOW DID YOUR BACKGROUND INSPIRE YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ART AND DESIGN?
I studied fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, and then worked as a fashion editor for a bridal magazine. It was when we moved to the US for my husband’s job that I took up painting as a hobby at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington – and I haven’t stopped painting since!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY
In 2004, we moved to Florence with our three young children, where we lived in a villa with a beautiful tower. At the top of the tower I had a studio, where I taught fellow expats to paint. I was inspired by the exuberance of the colours and landscape of Florence, and the crumbling plaster of the palazzo walls. I loved interpreting what I saw in the galleries and the street corner shrines. When we returned to the UK six years later, I studied at Northumbria University for a Masters in fine art, and then found a studio in the artistic Ouseburn area of Newcastle, where I experimented with layered painting on wood. I had one of my pieces cut into small squares, which I displayed on shelves in my studio, and as I was looking at them one day, they reminded me of cushions. I decided to have my artwork digitally printed onto velvet and made into cushions, and was thrilled when they won a prize in a competition called the Northern Design Event. The turning point came in 2016, when I was spotted by Amara and Liberty at an exhibition in London for emerging designers.
YOUR NEW CHRISTMAS RANGE FEATURES COLLAGES OF THE MADONNA AND CHILD. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THIS DESIGN?
Twice a year in Venice it floods, and I got stuck in the Gallerie dell’Accademia for four hours during a flood while on holiday. I started looking at all the iconic Madonna images around me and became fascinated by the different component parts. Back in my studio, I bought wrapping paper, doilies and beads, and began cutting out the face and hands of various Madonna images. The rest of the design is made from different patterns that I slot together like a collage. I had young children when I lived in Italy, so the motherhood aspect of the Madonna and Child appealed to me – the baby is often gently touching the mother’s face with one little finger.
CAN YOU GIVE US A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR HOME?
I live in an Edwardian manor house in Northumberland. The house is definitely an extension of my work – I’ve included all my own wallpapers on the top floor and have even papered the ceilings! The first two floors are painted in plain block colours, which I use as a backdrop for artwork. I surround myself with fashion and abstract images, which are hung in ornate frames from Italy. I’ve also collected furniture from Florence, including a Florentine round table in our kitchen. We live near Hadrian’s Wall and have beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.