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Dixie Burrus Browning

Buxton, NC

Dixie Burrus Browning is a nationally recognized artist and decorated writer of over 100 romance novels. She was born in 1930 on Hatteras Island, where, from a young age she developed a deep love of the outdoors and the waters that surround the island. Though she made a great career of writing, she considers herself, foremost, an artist. Though she is skilled at using many different kinds of paint, she primarily works in watercolors, painting local land, sea, and soundscapes.

Among her many accomplishments, Dixie co-founded The Watercolor Society of North Carolina, and served as the society’s first president. Along with other members of her family, she co-owned Browning Artworks in Frisco, one of Hatteras Island’s earliest fine art galleries. Dixie is listed in “Who’s Who in American Art”, and in 2016 was awarded North Carolina’s most prestigious award, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. The distinction is granted by the governor to citizens who have a long record of service and/or achievement in the state. Her life in the arts has earned her many titles including painter, juror, teacher, and illustrator. Her paintings are included in many private collections, such as those of Nora Roberts and the late actor Andy Griffith, and also hang in public and corporate collections throughout the state and nation.

Dixie’s family has deep historical roots on the Island. She is a descendent of the Cape Hatteras lightkeepers. Her family goes back seven generations here on the island and nine generations on the Outer Banks as a whole. Themes associated with our area, particularly soundside and marshland scenery, permeate her work. Warm, funny, and sharp witted, Dixie is a pleasure to talk to with and has many stories of the Outer Banks to share. She is an island treasure and a pillar of the Outer Banks art community.
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