biography

Di’s versatility and ability to capture light and movement shows in her paintings. From landscapes, cattle drives, rugged seascapes and beautiful figurative works to depicting characters of rural and urban, each painting tells a story to which we all relate.

Her love of painting is all passion and all consuming. Her enjoyment of painting shows in each piece.

Her art is always evolving, and while the human form still figures strongly in her subject matter, she likes to paint all sorts of subjects. Life provides so many wonderful and interesting subjects to paint that she has accepted that, as much as she wishes she could, she will never paint it all.

Di’s figurative work is evocative and sensuous: from lovely young ladies, draped in sheets or soft flowing fabric with moody back lighting, to chefs and make-up artists.

Her love of the bush and all things Australian inspired her to join the Cattlemen’s Association of Victoria and the Victorian Working Draught Horse Association. There, her love of cattle drives, horsemen, dust raising, river crossings and the High Country, along with her ploughing scenes became synonymous with the art of Di King.

She has had many successful solo exhibitions and group shows in Australia, France, USA and England including shows in 1989 and 1996 when she was one of forty artists chosen by the Guild to hang in the Mall Galleries in London with the Royal British Artists Society. In 1997 she was involved in a 2 person exhibition at Gallery Forty Seven, London and in the same year she was invited to hang at Gallery Miromessnil in Paris and in 1998 at Gelabert Studios, International Gallery, New York.

Di King is a well-known and respected artist with many awards and credits to her name.

Some awards include:
1st prize Pastel, Toorak College, 1996
1st prize Pastel, Mornington, 1997
1st prize Pastel, Bright, 1997
Artist of the Year and Most Popular Choice, Ringwood Art Society, 1999
1st prize, Hamilton Rotary, 1999
Best Overall, Yea Rotary, 2000
1st prize Oil, Bright Art Show, 2000
Best Oil, Portland Rotary, 2001
Best Overall, Mornington, 2002
Two 3rd prizes in Australian Artist magazine for Landscape and Gardens/Flowers
Over 50 commendations including Camberwell Rotary in 1994 and 2008.

She is a past Councillor and signatory fellow of the Australian Guild of Realist Artists, and member of the Portrait Artists Australia and the American Portrait Society. Di has been featured in several publications.