Sue Dickinson
Born 1956 | KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
BIOGRAPHY
Wildlife artist Sue Dickinson studied a Bachelor of Fine Art University of the Witwatersrand from 1981-1983. After her studies, she continued her artistic flair with running her own graphic design studio. In 1994, Sue took the brave step that every talented artist needs to and elected to paint paintings full-time. As a skilled watercolour artist, the very next year she became an "Associate Member" of the Watercolour Society of South Africa (AWSSA) in 1995.
ARTWORK STYLE
Recently, artist Sue Dickinson was awarded membership of the Society of Animal Artists (SAA). Sue's artwork appears on several South African postage stamps, including airmail tags commemorating the discovery of Thulamela, the world-famous archaeological site in the Kruger National Park. Her paintings are owned by private and corporate art collections in South Africa, England, Germany, Italy, France, USA, Hong Kong, Brazil, Holland and Australia. Her optimism about all things African is celebrated in her paintings such as "Days of Miracle and Wonder", which was a finalist in the Winsor & Newton Millennium Painting Competition.
Sue Dickinson Wildlife Art
The composition of artist Sue Dickinson's South African wildlife art is critical; based upon the law of proportion known as the "Golden Mean" - an aesthetic principle used by the ancient Greeks. This South African artist’s focus is the animal itself, with white background to focus the eye on the animal be it a Leopard, a Cheetah or an Elephant. Her style is unique as a wildlife artist.
Sue Dickinson’s experience has taught her that "what you leave out is just as important as what you put in". Her stark, clean watercolour wildlife artworks concentrate exclusively on the animal and convey the wide-open spaces of Africa.
Sue Dickinson Watercolour Paintings
Sue's preferred painting medium is watercolour on paper. This much under-rated medium is widely acknowledged by artists to be the most difficult. "There is no room for error with watercolour - once it is on the paper, it is almost impossible to remove - so I work carefully and accurately. I'm not attempting to reproduce reality, so I want to work fairly loosely too. It is important for the viewer to be able to see the mark of the artist, the journey I have taken on the page. I don't want a slick look."
Sue Dickinson Artwork Exhibitions
Sue Dickinson has exhibited her artwork extensively in South African art galleries such as Gallery on the Square (Sandton), Everard Read Gallery (Johannesburg and Cape Town), Vineyard Gallery (Franschhoek), and African Window Gallery (Pretoria) and has taken part in many group art exhibitions. She has also exhibited art in Italy, France and the USA.
EXHIBITIONS
- From Africa to the Amazon Wildlife Exhibition and Sale, Air Gallery, London, 2003
- South-eastern Wildlife Art Exposition, Charleston, USA, 2002, 2003
- Florida Wildlife Art Exposition, Sarasota, USA, 2003
- Western Visions, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA
- Wildlife Art Gallery, Orlando, USA, 2003
- Everard Read Gallery, Johannesburg, SA
- Christies Wildlife Art Auction, London
- African Window Museum, Pretoria, SA, 1998
- Norscot Manor Gallery, Sandton, SA, several exhibitions
Sue Dickinson’s South African wildlife watercolor paintings can also be found in the following collections:
- Ivory Lodge
- Royal Malewane Lodge
- Singita Lodges
- Anglo Gold
- Gold Fields of South Africa
- IFM International
- First National Bank
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals
- HRH Queen Elizabeth II
- Nelson Mandela
