Northern figurative paintings of people and ordinary lives, told with humour, memory and heart.
Sue Dewhurst’s Northern figurative paintings celebrate the women who rarely made it into the history books but absolutely ran the show. Rooted in Northern humour, working-class life and social history, these are women from bingo halls, seaside towns, chapel pews, factory floors and family gatherings.
Each original painting comes with a backstory — sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and occasionally outrageous. Art about women you knew, women you remember, and quite possibly the woman you’ve become.
Paintings exploring the emotional residue of post-industrial Britain — places where memory lingers long after communities, industries and certainties have disappeared. Quiet, cinematic works balancing nostalgia, isolation and unease.
Portraits of the women who kept Britain going — barmaids, hairdressers, dinner ladies and shop workers. Celebrating humour, resilience and working-class female identity through stories of labour, pride and performance.
An expanding cast of witty, complex Northern women inspired by memory, gossip and lived experience. Each painting combines humour and pathos with an accompanying backstory, creating a fictional-social archive of British life.






















































Paintings exploring masculinity, camaraderie and awkward social performance in 1970s Britain. From office outings to military memories, these works balance humour and melancholy with sharp observation and affection.





Stories unfolding behind drawn curtains and thin walls. This series explores modern British isolation, domestic rituals and the emotional theatre hidden inside ordinary flats, balancing dark humour with quiet humanity.
Inspired by found 1970s wedding photographs, this series captures the chaos, aspiration and emotional awkwardness of British family celebrations — smoking brides, sulking bridesmaids, sideburns, hangovers and all.










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My studio is open by appointment, offering a relaxed chance to see the work up close, talk through ideas, and spend time with the paintings in the space they’re made. Visitors are welcome to browse finished pieces, view works in progress, and ask questions — no pressure, no white gloves, just an honest look at the process behind the work. If you’re considering a particular painting or commission, a studio visit allows time to connect with the story, the colour, the humour and the detail that doesn’t always come through on a screen. Expect conversation, a cuppa, might stretch to a custard cream and a bit of a gossip but always a very warm welcome.
Studio visits are designed to feel comfortable and welcoming — especially if you’ve never visited an artist’s studio before.
Its FREE plus you receive exclusive offers, early access to collections and competitions