Artist Bio - Lucy Dickens II (Providence Gallery)

 

As the daughter of an artist and a photographer, Lucy was introduced to many different art forms at an early age. She was born in Michigan and moved to Arizona as a young child. Together her family explored the most beautiful sights that inspired her as an artist. The more Lucy saw and experienced, the more she was amazed at the incredible beauty around her that God created.

 

Pencil sketches were the dominant focus early on with some exploration into charcoal and pastels. In 2004, she began a serious pursuit of painting with acrylic and truly found her passion and calling. As with many artists, Lucy first focused her career outside the art industry. She pursued a career in banking and investments, and then left to help her husband start a contracting business. In 2005, she decided to pursue her artwork full time, and be at home with their two daughters. Shortly there after, she was accepted into a gallery in Scottsdale where she has shown ever since along with participating in various juried shows and exhibits.

 

Education includes self-directed, independent study through various workshops at the Scottsdale Artist School as well as study with artists such as William Hook, Larry Charles, and Jerry Yarnell. She is continually experimenting with new techniques to further her learning and experience as an artist.

 

Lucy’s primary medium is acrylic on canvas and panel. She is best known for her landscapes and wildlife which often are inspired by the southwest. She strives to capture the beauty all around her through the play of light and shadow. Her favorite time of day which she calls the magic hour is just before dusk when the shadows are long and everything lights up golden. It is the fleeting moment during a sunrise or sunset when the colors are alive with vivid color. Because there is such a tiny window of time before it is lost forever, Lucy strives to capture that once in a lifetime moment on her canvas.

Art feeds my soul in a way I cannot even begin to describe. It consumes most of my waking (and sleeping) thoughts! I see nature as brush strokes and palette colors, everywhere I go I yearn for a paint brush and a canvas. There is so much beauty in the world. When I paint, I want to move the viewer, and connect with them on an emotional level. I want to take them to another place, a place to unwind and to just be.

 

I have traveled to and photographed most of the places that I paint. I like to first visit the area and see it for myself, as well as take reference photos to paint from. I use them purely for reference and often combine multiple photos to create exactly what I am looking for in a painting. I spend a fair amount of time planning and thumbnail sketching until I have it just right, although there are times when spontaneity takes over and I just go for it! I love working with acrylics because of the fast drying time and the clean-up. Often my paintings are mistaken for oils because of the soft blends and depth I am able to create using them. I consider my style to be impressionistic realism. I love to create depth as well as include detail in the foreground