Sue


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Wildwood Gallery
141 S.H.1 Waitahanui,
Lake Taupo 2736
New Zealand
ph/fax: 64 7 377 0469

Hours: 10am - 5pm
Wednesday - Sunday
or by appointment.


I was born in Auckland but moved to Perth, Western Australia, in 1978, where I trained and taught as a primary school teacher. In the 1980's I dabbled in various art media, gaining high marks in an Art and Design course at Perth Tech, but it was the watercolour medium that really hooked me. When I moved back to NZ in 1995, my woodturner husband Robbie and I opened our own gallery.

Wildwood Gallery

Inspiration for my watercolour paintings includes the sensational local landscapes , vibrant flowers, New Zealand native orchids and birds, classic still life, semi-abstracts and whimsical themes. My main motivation is to express the beauty, drama and mystery in our natural environment. Every completed painting suggests countless alternative directions to follow so there is a never-ending flow of ideas for new subjects, original viewpoints and different treatments.

Recent work includes a series I call "focus" pictures which use the transparent nature of watercolour to suggest glimpses of different elements relating to a scene, creating an intermittent border. Another exciting new direction for me is my new range of acrylics on canvas, many featuring landscapes also containing close-up snippets from the scene inserted into the edges of the picture plane.
Also on display in Wildwood Gallery is an attractive selection of unframed paintings, perfect for travellers, and very reasonably priced for original artwork.

I exhibit around and beyond Taupo and am often commissioned to paint requested subjects. My paintings are now all over the world, giving me satisfaction that others can relate to my vision and take pleasure from my creations.

My popular adult watercolour classes have resulted in two successful students' exhibitions and frequent requests from all age groups for art workshops around the district.

Achievements to date

Click on date to view painting.

2007: Certificate of Merit, Combined Bay of Plenty Art Exhibition.
2005-2007: Prizes in the Shirley's Shoes Art Competition. 2004:This painting received a prize in the Shirley's Shoes catalogue competition.
2003:This painting called Spring Thaw, received 1st prize in the Shirley's Shoes catalogue competition.
2003:This painting of a Morepork (small NZ owl) received 1st prize in the Shirley's Shoes catalogue competition.
2002: Merit Award for a miniature painting in the Franklin Art Awards
2002: Published in the Australian Artist Magazine.
2001:"NZ Blue Fungi" received a Certificate of Merit in the Bay of Plenty Combined Arts Societies Exhibition
2001:"Circles in the Sand" received first prize in the watercolour section, South Waikato Artsfest.
2000: Bay of Plenty Combined Arts Societies Exhibition: Merit Award.
2000: Cambridge National Art Awards: Merit Award.
2000: DoC Conservation Week: First Prize in Painting and Poetry competition.