Sue Coleman

Sue Coleman is a Wildlife painter from England who moved to Vancouver Island, in Canada in 1967.[1] Coleman is known for her watercolour paintings in which she uses a controversial Indigenous art style. She also paints west-coast scenes, wildlife, and landscapes. Coleman has written and illustrated seven books.

Sue Coleman
Born
Sue Knott

Colchester, Essex England
Known forPainting, watercolour, landscape Wildlife
StyleIndigenous art
AwardsSilver Teal Award (1994)
WebsiteSue Coleman

Career

In the 1980s Coleman began to study British Columbia First Nations styles of art work. She says she received advice from noted artist Bill Reid, but nothing has substantiated this claim.[1] After studying Indigenous art, she began to paint very distinctive Watercolor paintings considered interpretations of Indigenous art.[2][3]

Controversy

Coleman's style is often referred to as a copy of Indigenous artists' work. Some people were confused by the work, and mistakenly believed that her paintings were done by an Indigenous artist. Her work has been referred to as Cultural appropriations or Knockoffs of Indigenous artwork.[1]

Coleman has described herself as a "translator" of Indigenous art forms which drew more criticism. Prominent Indigenous artists George Littlechild, Roy Henry Vickers and Richard Hunt signed an open letter critical of Coleman's appropriation of Indigenous art. Because of the controversy, Coleman said she may begin doing art in a completely different style.[4]

As a result of the controversy she has begun to identify herself as a "Non aboriginal Canadian artist".[5]

Awards

"Silver Teal Award" (1994). Presented by Ducks Unlimited in British Columbia[6]

Books
  • An Artist’s Vision (1989) By Sue Coleman[7]
  • Artist at Large in the Queen Charlotte Islands (1992) By Sue Coleman[8]
  • Artist at Large along the South Coast of Alaska (1993) By Sue Coleman[9]
  • "Biggle Foo meets Stinky" (1997) By Sue Coleman[10]
  • Biggle Foo Becomes a Legend (1997) By Sue Coleman[11]
  • Return of the Raven (2013) By Sue Coleman[12]
  • The Trumpeter Swan (2015) By Sue Coleman[13]

Personal

Coleman is from Colchester, Essex England. In 1967 she is married Canadian Dan Coleman (whom she met in high school while Dan lived with his mother in Colchester) and she lives in Cowichan Bay. Coleman was trained as a pastry chef but began painting in the 1980s.[14] Coleman works to promote environmental conservation.[15][16]

See also

References
  1. Sterritt, Angela (25 October 2017). "Non-Indigenous B.C. artist defends work despite calls for authenticity". CBC/Radio-Canada. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  2. Clarke, Nick. "PAINTINGS AND PRINTS BY SUE COLEMAN". mycowichanvalleynow. Vista. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  3. BAINAS, LEXI (18 October 2019). "Lexi Bainas Column: Visions artists readying for weekend Cobble Hill show; CVAC lunchtime speakers". Cowichan Valley Citizen. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  4. "Open letter accuses non-Indigenous artist of cultural appropriation". CBC/Radio-Canada. 8 December 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  5. "Sue Coleman". Facebook. Facebook. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  6. "Sue Coleman Biography". suecoleman. Sue Coleman. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  7. Coleman, Sue (1 June 1989). An Artist's Vision (1st ed.). Summerwild Productions. ISBN 978-0969280743.
  8. Coleman, Sue (1992). Artist at Large in the Queen Charlotte Islands. ICY Publications. ISBN 978-0969641407.
  9. Coleman, Sue (30 November 1993). Artist at Large along the South Coast of Alaska (1st ed.). ICY publications. ISBN 978-0969641414.
  10. Coleman, Sue (10 November 1997). Biggle Foo Meets Stinky. ICY publications. ISBN 978-0969641438.
  11. Coleman, Sue (10 November 1997). Biggle Foo Becomes a Legend. ICY Publications. ISBN 978-0969641445.
  12. Coleman, Sue (12 July 2013). Return of the Raven. Victoria, BC, Canada: FriesenPress. ISBN 978-1460206799.
  13. Coleman, Sue (2015). The Trumpeter Swan (1st ed.). Vancouver, BC: Pacific Music Industry Association. ISBN 9780994832108.
  14. Cooper, Veronica (7 June 2017). "Your Country, Your Story: artist Sue Coleman tells her Canadian story". CHEK Media. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  15. "Sue Coleman to show in Sooke". Sooke News and Black Press Group Ltd. 28 August 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  16. Jones H., Robert. "Coleman Sue". abcbookworld. BC BookWorld. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
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