Sue’s Room: A space to paint, pause, and take in the view

Perched on the hillside above Bristol’s floating harbour, Sue’s 2.3m x 2.5m garden studio sits amongst blossom, birdsong, and one of the city’s most remarkable views.

From behind her easel, she can look across to the SS Great Britain, watch boats move through the water below, and follow the light as it shifts across the harbour throughout the day. It feels so peaceful that it is easy to forget the city is just beyond the garden.

For Sue, who now spends much of her spare time painting, the room has become more than a studio. It’s a place to focus, create, and step away from the distractions of the house, a dedicated space that has transformed how she approaches her art.

“We’ve lived here for about 35 years now,” she says. “I still look out of the window every morning. I’ve never got used to the view.” 

Before the studio, painting happened at the kitchen table, with materials unpacked and packed away again at the end of every session. Retirement brought more time for art, but the room brought continuity. Paintings can stay on the walls while ideas develop, works in progress can be revisited, and creative momentum is no longer interrupted by the logistics of everyday life.

More than a year after it was built, Sue describes the space as “transformational”. It allows her to leave things out, let ideas sit for a while, and return when the right burst of inspiration arrives.

Working amongst nature

At the bottom of the garden, a well-trodden wildlife corridor has become a regular route for local foxes and badgers. The foxes, in particular, have become familiar neighbours.

“We’ve got foxes that often walk past the window and have a peek inside whilst I’m painting”

They’re so accustomed to Sue’s presence that they often wander past the studio without a second glance, occasionally pausing at the glass doors as if curious to see what she’s working on inside. It really is a special feeling to be so entangled in nature that animals go about their day as though you’re not there.

The changing seasons are always close by. Spring blossom gives way to summer colour, while autumn brings shifting tones and softer light. From her studio, Sue experiences these changes up close, not as a backdrop, but as part of the rhythm of the day. Whether she’s painting, sketching, or simply sitting with a cup of tea, the garden offers a tangible and ever-changing source of interest and connection to the natural world.

Nature has always influenced her artwork, and being immersed in it makes a difference. Rather than observing the natural world from a distance, she feels part of it.

“When it’s warm, I open the doors and it really does feel like you’re outside.”

Some days she will spend three hours in the studio. Other days, just one. There is no strict routine, and no pressure to finish everything in a single sitting. What matters is that the space is always there, quietly waiting.

For Sue, the studio offers something increasingly rare: room to leave things unfinished. A place where paintings, materials, and ideas can remain in place until she is ready to return. Surrounded by nature, overlooking the harbour, and filled with work in progress, it has become a space not just for making art, but for finding the peace and headspace to enjoy it.