Which colors must you have in your palette before starting a painting?
I usually begin my paintings by drawing them out in raw umber as an underpainting. The other colors on my palette are a direct response to my painting subject.
What is the best advice you have received in your career?
Not everyone will like your work so find where they do like it and find opportunities to get your work in front of them.
Which was your breakthrough artwork and tell us what happened after?
My breakthrough work was a portrait of my niece, it was my first successful realistic portrait and I entered it into an art prize and it won the two big prizes in the show.
How do you select the subjects or models you paint?
I often choose models who I find interesting to paint and also I like to paint people standing up for human rights.
How has social media impacted your daily routine or work ethics?
Like most artists these days social media has become a part of the process. It has allowed people from around the world to see and also collect my work all over the world
Vicki Sullivan’s paintings draw from a deep appreciation of beauty. Sullivan is a contemporary classical realist combining the aesthetics of the old masters with a modern edge. Finding her inspiration in people and nature Sullivan chooses oil paint as her medium. Her love of vibrant and opulent colour often requires employing many layers of paint to make her colour lavish and glowing as if from the inside. Chiaroscuro brings drama to her work, which often uses symbolism while exploring the universality of myth and emotional memories. Her work aims to stir the imagination and create an emotional connection with her viewer.