Sue McHugh is a contemporary artist from Merseyside known for her highly detailed watercolour botanical art. She is the current Artist in Residence at Knowsley Hall and the official artist of the Liverpool Botanical Trust. Often working under magnification she captures layers of organic detail, lighting and form. Her work explores complex botanical structures, with a particular interest in the botanical heritage of Liverpool and Knowsley.

Born in 1973 in Liverpool, she studied Fine Art at Manchester University and worked as a visual effects artist for two decades. Her work in digital arts and cinematography developed an obsession with texture, lighting and form.

Her paintings created during the lockdown in 2020 were gifted to keyworkers. The level of detail achieved in her works is closely linked to a desire to give through art.

I studied a Fine Art degree in Manchester, followed by over two decades working as a visual effects artist in the film and games industry. During the lockdown in 2020, I painted watercolours with a focus on botanical art. I felt compelled to give something back to key workers and my paintings were gifted to nurses, doctors and teachers. The motivation behind my work became intrinsically linked to the time and effort it took to create the high levels of realism and detail found in organic forms. I often work under magnification to find the finer details in complex botanicals. During my work in visual effects over recent years I have witnessed the proliferation of AI generated visuals and so painting felt in some way, to be redressing a balance, a tangible human-to-human interaction. It is my hope that through my work I can share the incredible detail, forms and colours found in nature.