Susan Tooke

Susan Tooke-CrichtonSusan Tooke received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University with further studies in the Master’s of Media Studies program at the New School in New York City.

In 1980 Tooke moved to Canada and has worked full time as a painter since then. Chemainus, The War Years was her first mural project. A lot of research went into determining the fine detail evident in the final wall painting, down to the correct insignia on the uniforms and the varied dress of the civilians on the railway platform. This detail is the signature of her work. She has since painted 12 other murals in the United States and Canada.

Tooke has also illustrated/authored nine award-winning picture books with national publishers and numerous projects with Parks Canada in digital montage and exhibit design. She has continued her studio practice throughout her career, and has paintings in the collection of both the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Art Bank. She is currently working on a series of landscape paintings in her expressive style, using bright colour and abstracted forms.

Tooke’s current collaborative work explores animation and video, returning to media with which she worked during her studies at the New School in New York City. She uses computer manipulation of video and photography to further explore ideas of time and motion as related to the human figure.

ARTIST’S WORK