Since coming to north Queensland from the Darling Downs in the 1960s, Sylvia has been inspired by the tropical environment for her work. After graduating with a Phd in 2000 at James Cook University Townsville, Dr Ditchburn continues to depict Australian natural environments in her typically vibrant gouache and acrylic palette. A freelance fine artist and essentially plein-air painter, Sylvia brings together images from her extensive painting trips throughout Australia. These include the Kimberley and Broome in West Australia, MacDonnell Ranges, Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Devil’s Marbles in central Australia, Simpson and Painted deserts, Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges in south Australia, Lost City and Kakadu in the Northern Territory, contrasted with the lush and dry tropics of north Queensland coastal fringe. As artist-in-residence at Arthur Boyd's Bundanon trust in 2000 Sylvia's field of reference also extends to the Shoalhaven River area in NSW. In 2007 an Art Residency in Beijing China with Red Gate Gallery was an amazing experience, as well as an invitation to present a solo show at the Tomsk Regional Art Museum, Russia in 2008.
2008 Art on the Wild Side, Framed Gallery Darwin
2008 Australian Landscapes, Tomsk Regional Art Museum Russia
2007 Wildlife, Wilderness + Wonder Flinders Gallery, Townsville
2006 Postcards from Townsville PTRG
A-I-R Mulgara Gallery Ayres Rock Resort
2005 Landscapes from the Centre Hotel Grand
Chancellor Brisbane/Qld Arts Council
2004 Journey into Red Country, Mt Isa
A-I-R Mulgara Gallery Ayres Rock Rsort
2003-4 Rainforest to Desert: In Search of the
Sublime major exhibition PTRG
2001 Home and Away Flinders Gallery, Tvl
2000 Artist-in-Residence Bundanon Trust
A-I-R Radisson Treetops, Port Douglas
1993 Works from the Tropics Towns Gallery
Brisbane
1991 Keeper of the Garden, Tonnoirs Fine Art
Gallery Townsville
1990 New Works Painters Gallery Sydney
Rainforest and Metaphor PTRG
1987 Fan Series Martin Gallery Townsville
1982 Travelling North Paddington Gallery
Brisbane2008 Olympic Fine Arts 2008, Beijing China
2007 Individual Format Pickle Art Beijing China
Lamingtons - Strand Ephemera Townsville
2006 Exquisite Corpse Pinnacles Thuringowa
Percival Vestments PTRG Townsville
2005 Perc’s Purses PTRG Townsville
Art with a Heart Toowoomba
2004 Walk This Way PTRG Townsville
2003/07 Strand Ephemera Townsville
2002 Inspiration NQ PTRG Townsville
2000 Sharjar Arts Museum United Arab
Emirates
1996 Plenty: Women Artists of Townsville PTRG
Mossman Gorge a Special Place, Cairns RG
1995 Locate Yourself - Townsville, Mt Isa,
Darwin, Cairns
1995 Muse Umbrella Townsville
Tattersall’s Art Prize, Brisbane -Invitation
1994 Visions from the Tropics Lake Macquarie
Gallery Newcastle - Invitation
TenxTen Townsville Artists in Japan
Daikokuya Gallery Iwaki Japan
1993 Iwaki/Japan/Townsville Cultural Exchange
1990 Opening the Umbrella, 6th Women in the
Arts Festival Rockhampton
1983 Australian Watercolour Institute SH Ervine
Gallery Sydney
Collections Represented (a selection)
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery - James Cook University - Artbank Australia - Townsville City Council
Qld State Library James Hardie Collection - Suncorp - Shell Australia - Bundanon Trust NSW - Townsville General Hospital - Mt Isa Mines - Main Roads - Jupiter’s Casino Townsville - Iwaki City Japan - Museum of Tropical Qld - Sharjah Arts Museum United Arab Emirates - Qld City Council Collections - Private National & International Collections in New Zealand, Japan, England, Ireland and America
Art Awards
Sylvia has held 37 solo exhibitions, included in over 100 group and invitational shows and received more than 50 art awards and commendations for her work by critically acclaimed judges including the Suncorp State Award for Painting and commissioned for several public art projects. The Tableland Tapestry Weavers wove a tapestry of her work Rainbow Lorikeet Landscape in 2003. Also a recipient of a Qld Govt Premier’s Encouragement Award, Australia Council Visual Arts Project Grant and a three year JCU Post Graduate Research Scholarship for her Phd research project for Women’s art in Tropical Landscapes.
