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An interview with Sussanne Morton

Born in the snows of Denmark and arriving in Australia at six,Sussanne learnt to speak English only by attending school. Growing up in a house full of music and art, it's no surprise she took up the paintbrush at an early age. Now living in Buderim, Sussanne talks about her life and her art.

Q. What do you remember about Denmark?
A. Quite a lot really. I remember it seemed very flat and how cold the snow was and the thatched roofs on the houses. I remember breaking icicles off the roof and sucking them. I recently went back to visit with relatives and they showed me the house where I was born and it's falling down a bit, but the stairs are still there.

Q. How was coming to Australia?
A. It was a great adventure. We had six weeks on the Australis, a luxury liner with three swimming pools. It was so lovely. But then we arrived in Sydney and were put into an immigration camp and that was totally awful. We didn't stay long because there was no privacy. We left there and moved to Brisbane, Acacia Ridge, where we lived on 30 acres next to the GMH factory.

Q. Did you enjoy living there?
A. Oh yes! We had lots of bush to explore and my parents were both artists so we were encouraged to look closely at plants and animals and observe all sorts of things. I used to collect butterflies and I remember catching huge numbers of stick insects in buckets one year. But I let them go later.

Q. How did you manage at school?
A. Dad had taught us some english, but generally I couldn't understand too much of what was said to me for a while. That was very frustrating and I think that made me pretty much introverted. I used to go off by myself a lot.

Q. Why did you leave there?
A. Mum and dad were worried about the crime in the area and after we had an experience with "stranger danger" they decided to move us to the country.

Q. Where did you go then?
A. We lived near darlington in a little valley called Lost World, it was so very beautiful. I loved to paint scenes of the local landscape with dad.

Q. How did you like high school?
A. I didn't like school much and hated maths. The only thing I really loved was art. In year 11 I discovered I didn't have to complete the year to get into art school so, at 16 and a half I came home and announced to dad I was leaving school to go to art collage.

Q. What was his reaction?
A. Well he was upset at first, but when he realised I was serious he was really supportive. I moved to brisbane and shared a flat with a girl I didn't know and enrolled in the commercial art course which dad thought would offer more chance to earn a living. Dad then helped me to get into College and start my career in the world of art!

Q. Did you enjoy that?
A. Living with someone I didn't know was really challenging and I wasn't too sure I was enjoying the course. Anyway, after two years I decided to give it a go as a freelance commercial artist but ended up getting married.

Q. What sort of work did you do?
A. I did the odd private commission. I gained a commission to design some stained glass windows for the Solothurn Wedding Chapel in Maleny, so I had to dod a course in lead lighting so I could understand how the designs would fit together. That was great and the windows are still in the chapel. I also became involved in a few joint exhibitions around the coast with other local, well-known artists. That was a real buzz for me. My work was then accepted into the Twin Waters Gallery in 2001.

Q. What style of work were you doing then?
A. I was painting mostly bright contemporary underwater scenes. I had done some diving and wanted to put what I had seen on canvas for others to enjoy. Most people don't get to go into the depths. But know I'm more into portraits of flowers and landscapes, my work is exhibited at Art Nuvo in Buderim and at the Blue Dolphin in Mooloolaba.

Q. So what are your next plans?
A. I really want to paint full time, but to keep myself financial I teach children and adults. I do find this rewarding as I get to meet some wonderful people. I am hoping to exhibit my work in Denmark and the USA sometime soon, but I need to get a large body of work together for that. I would like to get into the collectable market.

Q. Where do you see yourself in five years time?
A. I would like to be exhibiting in Melbourne and Sydney and internationally.

Q. What do you enjoy besides your art?
A. I look cooking and gardening, dining out, swimming, the beach, horse riding and going to the gym.

Q. If you could have your favourite people to dinner, who would they be?
A. My dad, Guy Ehlers, who died some years ago. He would be so happy that I have pursued my art. My grandfather, Professor Edvard Ehlers, who was well - known in medical research and I'd love to have my children meet them because I think they would really enjoy talking to them.