Suzie Cheel


		RESUMÉ: SUZIE CHEEL, Artist/Designer Suzie Cheel is a artist/designer based in Tweed Heads on the north coast of New South Wales. She has worked in a wide range of craft and design media, including mixed media, handpainted fabrics, quilting, shibori (tie-dying), weaving, batik and marbelling. From her extensive experience with a range of media and techniques, and her knowledge of fabrics, dyes and methods of craft practice, Suzie produces exciting and individual artworks. Her work is distinctive for the depth and intensity of its colours, as well as for its quality of materials and professional finish. Born and raised in Canberra, Suzie gained a Diploma of Teaching in Sydney in 1968, specialising in early childhood education. She subsequently taught children and adults in England, Nigeria and Australia, and in the 1980s was appointed as an acting head teacher with TAFE, training childcare workers. Throughout her teaching career, Suzie maintained her interest and activity in art and craft interests and in 1980 graduated from the School of Colour and Design at East Sydney. Then in 1987 she completed a Graduate Diploma in Social Communication at Hawkesbury CAE (now part of the University of Western Sydney). Continuing her interest in social communication and social ecology, in 1996 Suzie graduated with a Master of Applied Science (Social Ecology) from the University of Western Sydney. Over the years, Suzie has also participated in many workshops to develop her knowledge and skills in various art/design mediums, as well as in communication, business management and property investment. In 1987 Suzie left her teaching position at TAFE to set herself up in business as a full time artist/designer. In the 1980s and 1990s Suzie created a very successful business, producing a wide range of clothing and accessories under her label, Suzie Cheel Handpainted Originals, sold through a number of select outlets in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. Suzie did all her own marketing, sales and administration, and participated successfully in a number of national craft shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane and international gift fairs in San Francisco. Suzie has had her work exhibited in numerous exhibitions in Australia and the USA and has won several awards, including the Alice Annual Craft Prize in 1983 and the Award of Excellence for Handpainted Silk at the Australian Craft Show 1991. Her first art quilt was included in the book of the major national quilt project undertaken for the 2000 Paralympics, she was a finalist in the quilt section of the National Wool Awards at Geelong 2002 and had one of her quilts included in the Surface Design Association exhibition in St Louis, Missouri in 2003. She has also been commissioned by individuals and corporations for a range of works, from furnishings to corporate clothing accessories. In 2004 she produces a limited range of handpainted scarves and sarongs for sale in outlets in Sydney and Canberra, as well as producing art quilts and other art works combining traditional art/craft techniques with computer generated designs and quilting techniques. From 1991 until recently, Suzie was a regular contributor to Textile Fibre Forum magazine. In her long-running column, "Making a Living in the Textile Arts", she shared with her readers a range of personal insights and stories from her own day-to-day experiences, to illustrate the challenges involved in combining dedication to the creative process with the business of making a living through art. Articles about Suzie and her work have been published in Craft Arts International, The Sydney Daily Telegraph, My Business Magazine, South Pacific Panorama , The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times, The Glebe newspaper, The Ragtrader, and the Takashimaya catalogue, Japan (feature on Australian wool). Suzie has played a very active role in supporting the development of crafts and the fashion industry in Australia and has been an active member of several key organizations, including Australian Fibre Forum, the Batik and Surface Design Association, the Crafts Council of New South Wales (now known as Object) (Board Director 1988/89, Vice President-1989/90), International Fashion Group (former committee member) the National Association For The Visual Arts (NAVA), the Surface Design Association (USA), the OZQuilt Network (current committee member) and the Quilters Guild of Qld and the Goldcoast Quilters. Also a volunteer and member of Tweed Heads River Art Gallery. Contact: T – 07 5536 5658 M – 0411 694 709 - SHORT CV

PO Box 1057 Tweed Heads NSW 2485 Australia Tel:+61 7 5536 5658