Sue Dewhurst | British Figurative Artist - Paintings of People & Rural Life
I’m a British narrative figurative painter based in West Wales, drawn to the people and places that often go unnoticed.
From the gloriously outspoken characters of my Owd Lasses to the grit and quiet humanity of Rural Lives, my paintings explore working-class life, humour and the wonderfully awkward business of being human.
You might recognise someone you know. Then you might recognise something of yourself.
How to Survive a Family Do in the 1970s
Handbag politics. Dodgy dancing. Buffet battles. Relatives behaving badly. Join my studio mailing list and I'll send my free illustrated survival guide straight to your inbox. You'll also get stories behind my Owd Lasses and Rural Lives paintings, sneak peeks at new work, studio gossip and the odd bit of mischief. No incessant waffle. Unsubscribe whenever you like.
Get the free guideSue Dewhurst Contemporary Art
Colour, characters and stories worth telling.
A bit of rural grit, a flash of bingo-hall wit and plenty of humanity. My paintings usually begin with something that makes me look twice — a face, a remark or a gloriously awkward bit of human behaviour.
Rural Lives Paintings
Contemporary British Countryside & Coastal Art
Rural Britain has its own stories, and they’re rarely the ones on the postcards.
From auction marts and farmyards to working harbours and windswept coastlines, my Rural Lives paintings capture the characters, hard graft and everyday moments that give these places their soul.
There’s beauty here, certainly — but also mud, humour and life as it’s actually lived.
Owd Lasses Paintings
Character Art with Humour, grit, and storytelling
My Owd Lasses are women who’ve seen a bit of life and have plenty to say about it.
Rooted in working-class Britain, these character paintings celebrate the gloriously outspoken, the quietly defiant and the wonderfully ordinary. Sharp humour, awkward moments and the occasional bruised heart.
Each character has a story. There’s usually a laugh to be had, but look a little closer and you might find something surprisingly tender underneath.
This is Art That Tells Stories
ORIGINAL ART WITH CHARACTER AND SOMETHING TO SAY.
People see all sorts in my paintings. A familiar face. A place they’ve known. A moment they thought everyone else had forgotten.
And then come the stories — theirs as much as mine.
That’s what I want on your walls: original art that keeps you looking, laughing, thinking and talking. Not just something that matches the sofa.
Original Paintings, Fine Art Prints & Commissions
Come and see the paintings in person at my West Wales studio
What People Say About My Paintings
“This made me cry. So many buried memories, unspoken but still so powerful — therapy tomorrow!!”
S. — Exhibition visitor, 2026
“All out of small talk these days, but your work made me think of my parents on a night out in the 60s/70s. Thank you for your unusual interpretation and the wonderful memories you evoked.”
Exhibition visitor, 2026
“The Owd Lass is here with me safe and sound!! It’s just so, so fab! I’m really honoured you would do it just for me!! I absolutely loved your special touches — the box, the Parma Violets and the compulsory O.L. rain hat!!”
Owd Lass commission customer
“This is bloody great! It’s not all snobby rubbish. We only usually meet up at auctions and funerals!”
— Farmer, exhibition visitor
