Sue Creates Art

And so we had our second session of portrait drawing at Cairns Art Gallery this week 😀
Such a great vibe❤️

Last week our very first portrait class kicked off at the beautiful Cairns Art Gallery and the energy in the room was awesome. I just wanted to share a little sneak peek of the first session so that you can all see exactly where my talented students are starting. Capturing the human face is no easy feat, but everyone dove in head first 🤓 and absolutely smashed it. ❤️

Congratulations to all these budding artists! Here they all are doing the last session of the intermediate pastel workshops at Cairns Art Gallery. They should be very proud of what they accomplished just in a few evenings.
The advanced pastel class is coming up soon so if you want to do it, get in quickly cause I tend to book out early

The Art of Starting Over (and Getting Lost) ✨

Let’s talk about the elephant in the studio: creative blocks.

They happen to all of us, even those of us who have created our entire lives. In fact, I think they hit especially hard if you teach.

When you spend your days jumping around inside other people’s creativity, constantly guiding them and pouring out your own energy, your own creative well can run a little dry.

Add a few major life changes into the mix, and suddenly you find yourself surrounded by a sea of unfinished pieces… and absolutely zero desire to finish them. And you know what? That is completely okay.

Sometimes you just need a circuit breaker. For me, that’s where our amazing international community comes in.
Having connections across the globe via Facebook and other spaces is such a gift—it throws open the windows and lets a rush of fresh, global creativity into your mind.
Lately, that outside inspiration has kicked me into a totally different direction from what I’ve done for many years. Art imitates life, after all, and as life shifts, the art must too. I don’t have a clear picture of where this new path is leading yet. I just have inklings of ideas, whispers of inspiration… and honestly? That is exactly what creativity is all about. It feels absolutely great to just get lost in it again. 🎨💫

To my fellow artists and teachers out there: if you're stuck, maybe it's just time to pivot.💃

✨ I get asked ALL the time — "Sue, what's your background exactly?" 🎨

It's a fair question! So let me finally answer it properly — and explain why it makes my art workshops genuinely different from anything else you'll find in Cairns.

I'm Sue Schreiber of Sue Creates Art, and the short answer is: I've been working in the arts in one shape or another for four decades. As a professional artist, a designer, an illustrator, an educator — art hasn't just been something I do, it's been my entire working life.

And my qualifications reflect that depth:
🎓 Bachelor of Fine Arts
🖊️ Advanced Degree in Illustration
💻 Certificate IV in Graphic Design
🌸 Formal Study in Surface Pattern Design

I've also been teaching for over 40 years — so when you walk into one of my classes, you're not learning from someone who simply loves art. You're learning from someone who has lived and breathed it professionally across every corner of the creative world.

That breadth means I can take you anywhere — soft pastels, graphite, life drawing, digital art in Photoshop, tangling and more — with genuine, hands-on expertise behind every lesson.
My workshops are intimate and personalised — small classes at Brinsmead, workshops at the Cairns Art Gallery and The Tanks Art Centre, plus one-on-one private sessions tailored entirely to your goals. No cookie-cutter curricula. No being lost in a crowd.

🎬 And this reel? It's filled with real examples of student work created over the years in my classes. These are everyday people — total beginners, returners, curious souls — discovering what they're capable of. This could be you. 💛

Beginners welcome. Experienced artists stretched. Everyone seen.

👉 See upcoming classes: www.suecreatesart.com
👉 Follow along: facebook.com/suecreatesart

📩 Ready to book? Message me or email [email protected]

Spots always fill fast — don't wait! 🌿

Another great job last night by all the budding artists at the intermediate pastel class at Art Gallery. Good job ladies!