Susan Mitchell, AFCA

I feel that the human body radiates energy and a presence even when it is resting. I translate this into colour. We look at people every day but a person is suddenly transformed into immortality by the artist recording not only the position but the transitory emotion of the model. For me the drawing and the painting of a figure is a celebration of the human form.  

My work is representational in style. It reflects my reverent awe of nature, my surroundings and a keen sense of colour harmony and composition. I find form is echoed many times in nature.  

Born in England, Sue spent her childhood in Singapore, Germany and Bahrain before returning to England and training as an Occupational Therapist in London. She moved to Canada in 1967 and became an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists in 1987. She has taken numerous workshops in Canada and abroad and completed the four-year program of Federation Foundation Courses with Distinction, in the 90's. Her subject matter is diverse and her favorite medium is watercolour but she works in a full range of mediums and enjoys mixing watercolour with pastel, inks and dyed silk tissue paper. Sue is also actively involved as a Board Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and has held various positions with the White Rock and South Surrey Art Society.

Sue enjoys painting en plein air on extended sailing trips on the coast of British Columbia, on annual trips to England and Wales and on field trips in the subject-rich area of the Lower Fraser Valley. She also draws and sketches extensively and has produced award-winning work from figure studies.

Sue, a signature member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (AFCA), received First Prize in the FCA's 1996 Christmas juried show and Honorable Mention awards in three of their juried exhibits in 1997. She also received the Howard Mandeville Award in the prestigious 1997 International Juried Exhibit of the Northwest Watercolour Society held in Seattle, Washington. Her work is exhibited in South Surrey and White Rock annually and is in corporate and personal collections in North America and abroad. In addition, she has helped to design and create street banners for the City of White Rock, exhibits regularly in the BC Festival of the Arts and painted a series of watercolours for the sets of the television program Creative Cooking.

Memberships and Organizations

• Federation of Canadian Artists, Signature Artist, AFCA
• Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS), member
• International Artist Support Group (IASG), member
• White Rock and South Surrey Art Society, member

Please e-mail Susan McIvor (snavych@telus.net)

Susan McIvor, White Rock, British Columbia

Artist information also at: Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery, 1241 Cartwright Street (Granville Island), Vancouver, BC

Please e-mail Susan if you would like to be on a mailing list to receive information about exhibitions.