At age seventeen, Sue Dirksen left home to travel around the world with her parents. That trip changed her life forever. After her family arrived in Japan, Sue took lessons in Sumi-e, an Asian style of ink painting. Sumi-e strives to convey the essence of its subject with as few brushstrokes as possible. The painstaking process of learning to control gradations of wash has been Sue's most important art lesson.
Sue Dirksen's life is evidence of her determination to put her art first. A deeply spiritual person and an ordained Buddhist nun, Sue always meditates before she paints. Im the medium for whatever comes through, she says. Meditation centers her, calming the inner chatter and allowing her to perceive the energy that is the basis of her creativity. Sue transforms this energy into the light and color of her paintings.