Susan Austin

I've been painting and drawing since 1985. I live in London. My work is about place. I experiment with mark-making and composition to take the image beyond its surface back to its bare bones. I began drawing in Manningtree in 2016.

Throwing myself off the Norwich train and taking my life in my hands to reach the White Bridge marking the boundary between Essex and Suffolk, l usually get through the foot tunnel under the railway before surrendering to the urge to draw the River once more. I might sketch from the bank at various points as the day goes on, before resuming my journey to Mistley and then Wrabness.

It is an undertaking doomed to failure, only salvaged to a small degree by subsequent hours of work in my studio.

It feels like a small intrusion into a place where, fundamentally, l don't belong. But already on my return to Stratford l am planning my next trip.

www.westlandplacestudios.com/studios/susan-austin

Instagram: @smaustin12