Sobre el Artista

SUSAN JOYCE Thirteen years ago, I found a set of paints that one of my children had left lying around; I decided to have a go. I have been exceedingly fortunate in my tutors Norma McDonald, Paul Miller and Tina Spira. These artists have taught me the basics and encouraged me to experiment and go forward with enthusiasm and colour. Since then I have gained confidence and begun experimenting with different mediums, colour, texture and surfaces. It is fun and stimulating. I love developing a subject from my idea of traditional to abstractionism. It is amazing how many paintings can result! I want to go further and to try some of the printing techniques, perhaps along the lines of the Japanese woodcuts. In 2004, I had my first solo exhibition. What a thrill! Among the pictures there were several “small” pictures, artist Philippa Stewart-Hall saw these and suggested I submit some of them to the Australian Society of Miniature Art. I duly did so and was accepted as an exhibiting member to the Society. The quality of the works of these artists has been a great stimulus to me and I also felt that I needed to know more so I now attend miniature classes. I am a regular exhibitor in the Royal Agricultural Society’s Sydney Royal Easter Show, ASMA Annual Art Awards and Cootamundra Soroptimist Society Annual Art Show as well as exhibiting elsewhere. I received Highly Commended in the NSW Breast Cancer Institute Life After Five Exhibition in 2008 and in 2009 received Highly Commended in the Westmead Breast Cancer Institute’s Mural of Survivorship. I have also won several other awards both here and in the UK, for watercolour and acrylic In 2010, I won my first major art prize, I received first prize in the miniature painting section of the Arts at The Royal Agricultural Society’s 2010 Easter Show, Sydney, for my watercolour painting “Kinsale”, it measures two by three inches. This year,2012, to date I have won several awards, the latest being two seconds at the St Ives Annual Show. I have my own website: www.berildaart.com I am planning another solo exhibition for 2013.