Sue Sill

Born on May 26, 1939, in Woodward, Oklahoma,Sue Sill is a lifelong artist with a passion for nature and travel. As a botanist, her career was as a naturalist and administrator of botanical gardens and nature parks.

"Blending art with the study of nature has given me the best of both worlds. I have been able to use my drawing and painting ability to share my thoughts and feelings about what I’ve seen in my travels and my life, including plants I’ve studied scientifically."

Her current emphasis is on acrylic paintings that celebrate the rustic beauty of nature in southern Texas with a focus on habitats of the Rio Grande Valley. She also uses watercolor to show the dignity of indigenous peoples she has met on her travels across Latin America.

Sue Sill graduated from W. B. Ray High School, Corpus Christi, Texas, in May, 1957. Under her married name, Cecelia Sue Gardner, she went on to earn an Associate of Arts from Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas, May, 1976; a Bachelor of Science from Texas A&I University at Corpus Christi (major in biology, minors in art & chemistry) Corpus Christi, Texas in May 1977; and a Doctor of Philosophy (major in botany) from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, December, 1982.

Sue has shown in numerous juried art exhibitions at each of the following: Corpus Christi Art Center, Corpus Christi, Texas; Brownsville International Museum of Art, Brownsville, Texas; and International Museum of Art and Science, McAllen, Texas. She continues to show in these exhibitions and often wins awards ranging from Best in Show to Honorable Mention. In 1977, she was an invited exhibitor in the 4th International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Solo exhibitions of Sue’s paintings have been shown as follows:
1. 2017, Indigenous Faces, Sekula Memorial Library, Edinburg, Texas.
2. 2013, Sue Sill Collection – 40 years of works, Texas State Technical College Library, Harlingen, Texas.
3. 2012, Indigenous Faces, Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum, Harlingen, Texas.
4. 2011, Indigenous Faces, Lockett Gallery, Art Center Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas.
5. 2010, Celebrating the Americas, Art House, McAllen, Texas.
6. 1990, Botanical Drawings and Fine Art Prints, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas.
7. 1971, Selected Paintings and Drawings, Memorial Medical Center, Corpus Christi, Texas.

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