Ode to Autumn

Inspiration from Sue Woodger

Author

Emily
November 30, 2024

(Artwork images credited to Sue Woodger)

This week, I’d like to introduce you to Sue Woodger.

Sue creates mesmerising and intricate pieces of art using cut paper, painted with watercolour. Her work is inspired by the rhythms of nature, often capturing the graceful movement of bees, butterflies and birds, or a synchronised shoal of fish.

Some of her works showcase striking displays of gold. One of her circular gold butterfly pieces caught my eye and now hangs in my art studio, my mum enjoys one of her vibrant, colourful bees.

As summer months are left behind, one of Sue’s recent pieces resonated with me. I reached out to her to learn more about the inspiration behind it and asked if she would kindly share some photos and words about her creative process.

Introducing Sue Woodger

Words by Sue Woodger

It’s no exaggeration to say that autumn is my favourite time of year.

For me, it is a refresh for the senses: cooler air, the smell of decaying leaves and damp moss during forest walks, and, of course, the colours.

I am the school mum who joins her children in kicking up the crunchy leaves. I positively encourage it.

I am also the first to point out a tree and its colour, bark, and how the leaves look as they fall. It’s something I am attuned to; it is a time of year I feel deeply connected to.

And as jewel-like leaves fall to the ground, it feels like an offering. I often can’t help but pick them up and take them home. My husband recently threw out some very carefully chosen foraged leaves, citing, “The kids brought them in, I thought it was rubbish.”

To me, they were treasure, so that led to an interesting marital conversation!

When I set about creating a papercut leaf artwork in honour of the season, I wanted to capture not just the richness of autumn colours but also the sense of offering.

A mandala felt like the natural composition to show off how nature offers us these beautiful jewels before their eventual decay, an element of order amongst the fluidity of falling leaves.

The concentric circles allowed me to present the leaves in a range of sizes, some life-like, and some miniature, in abundance.

Before settling on the composition, I tried many options with the leaves while they were partially painted.

When I put together the mandala, it was that golden moment when inspiration and practical application aligned to form a perfectly balanced artwork.

I am always drawn to strong and recognisable silhouettes commonly found in nature in my artwork, so it was a natural choice to use a range of leaf silhouettes. From the beautifully jagged edges of acers to the gentle curves of an English oak.

When leaves fall from their tree, they retain a beautifully curved shape, and I sought to capture that by hand-shaping each leaf with gentle curves.

Attaching the leaves to the piece without this shaping would have diminished the beauty of the artwork.

The finished piece has been very joyful. I’ve enjoyed displaying it in my living room, a reminder of the warmth remaining in the season before the cooler and colder moments of winter set in.

Perhaps I’ll find similar inspiration for winter, but for now, autumn has a hold on me.

Sue is based in Farnham, Surrey. Find her online at…

Ode to Autumn

This is a beautiful original and unique artwork for your home. It has wonderful impact whilst also being calming. I cut these leaves from a beautifully smooth hot pressed watercolour paper and painted each leaf in high pigment professional watercolour. This is a unique artwork in both its composition and the variety of

Sue can often be found at Farnham Maltings (Markets). Follow her on Instagram for notifications about upcoming events.