I am a winner!!!! Here is my etching that I had sooo much fun doing. I utilized prints and patterns to represent the rich patterns and textures of music both classical and jazz. Etching is the same technique used by Rembrandt, it has stood the test of time just like the music on WRTI FM. I executed the piece at the Pennsylvania Academy of the fine Arts where I work as a shop assistant.
Here is a sketch I made while recently covering the Philadelphia sex abuse trial. The testimony was very graphic and disturbing. I started to work for TV as a sketch artist when I was just out of art school. I worked intensely at it for about 6 years and learned that I LOVE working from life. I covered a lot of high profile cases and even rode in a helicopter!!! Failing budgets and different News Directors tastes caused the work to diminish. After that I started to study painting seriously. 30 years later, I come back to court with better skills and still love it. Many artists prefer the solitude of the studio working quietly from photographs. For me working from life is so stimulating, and is a different and more satifying experience. I would rather push through crowds, fight for a good seat in order to capture the action in a courtroom. I love working fast, and find I make better decisions when I do not have much time. I love the energetic gestures of the attorneys, the drama, and the constant string of changing characters on the witness stand. After I am in court I am happy to be in the studio with other projects, but to be out capturing the moment is what I really love.
This is the third year I have gone with my easel, paint and canvas to try and capture "Plein air" the excitement of Ladies hat Day at The Devon Horse Show. Just like last year, I immediately knew the winner at first glance. I was taken from the get go by a dreamy pink confection worn by Pamela Targan. Mounds of gorgeous pink tuile was wrapped around the huge hat topped off by a tasteful amount of flowers. Feathers seemed to be popular this year, and a young duo (friends)captured my attention but went unnoticed by the judges. These two young ladies got my vote for most artistic. they looked like they could have been on stage. Then there was the usual hats that looked like ithey were just plucked from a gorgeous Nieman Marcus hatbox and of course some vintage styles. A darling little girl was special in a wonderful purple creation she made herself, and a tiny poodle sported a pill box creation . Here is the painting I was able to create, it was a mad wonderful ,exciting, race to capture it all and much fun depicting my favorites shown here. Every year I say I am going to go with a palette atop my head, but stuff always gets in the way. This year I am offereing a giclee print of the painting for $150.00. The event always stimulates my creativity, and I know I will be able to create paintings and etchings from the geat resource of color and shapes that the beautiful ladies provided.
Hands down Amy Holzapfel wearing a devine hat designed by Jill Henning . As I arrived at The Devon horse show I was filled with anticipation for an exciting morning to paint "Plein Air" or on site. A very hot day, the event took place in the shade( thank you coordinater Jen Mcgowan ). Almost from another era, the ladies stroll about dressed in lovely summery frocks to match a wonderful hat. There was a bevy of whimsy, sophistication, style and lots of talent and creativity !! As I was setting up the contestants came rolling in, butterflies, bees, flowers, feathers all were apart of the scene. As soon as I spied Amy, I knew she would be the winner in a Victorian style disk with warm whites and cool blues flowered and feathered,she looked amazing! To top it off her sundress was a perfect match of blues and whites. I love this event, and it makes me want to throw down my bush and design hats. Who knows maybe next year I will be strolling in a hat to look like my pallette, and painting at the same time!! I love a women who can multitask!!!!!
In my desperation to try and sell art, I have had to start to think creatively about marketing. Galleries are disappearing, in this economy people are not thinking about buying art. Recently, I have had luck selling my work at silent auctions. The very serious causes like Children's Hospitals, and Breast Cancer want a total donation , and that is my pleasure. It is my way of giving back. But just last week, I sold the above painting at an auction for a wonderful Philadelphia venue that provides artistic services. We agreed on a 50/50 split . I had two works up for sale and they both sold. If you have a benefit that includes a silent auction, please let me know. I have a studio full of beautiful work in all price ranges. I would love to work with you or your organization. Take a look at my website, www.dorispector.com
This is my friend and neighbor Kat with her Standard Poodle Dillon. Dillon came into Kat's life only 3 years ago. An intense animal lover and dedicated equestrian(can you imagine how lovely she looks atop a horse?), Kat has always yearned for a dog. She posed for me at seven and now at 16. Being one of five children, a family pet was put on hold until the right time and right dog came along. Dillon was a great fit. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Kat, and now I am smitten with Dillon. Calm, obendient and almost human, he posed for me like a statue. Kat understands competition, so when I told her I needed to finish the painting for a competition, she gave me a few extra hours from her busy schedule willingly. Unlike other children who dream of owning a dog and then leave the care to parents, Kat takes amazing care of Dillon providing him with agility training, bikes walks (she rides, he walks aside), and a ton of love I couldn't imagine painting Kat without Dillon. they are a team!
I saw Sting in concert with The Royal Philharmonic. I love Sting and was anxious to see him, but also anxious to see the conductor. His name is Steven Mercurio and he is really of the "opera world". I first became aquainted with him when I saw Andrea Bocelli. What a duo, Mercurio and Bocelli. Both tall and handsome, Bocelli is rather still,strong and intense when he is performing. Mercurio on the other hand is dynamic ,a graceful moving target, and at times airbourne. I love movement and at 54, I still am taking gesture classes. I love to work quick and taking the classes always helped me work fast as a courtroom sketch artist. At the Sting concert before it got too dark, I pulled out my sketchbook and did some scribbles of the conductor. Later at home, I worked from memory and the sketches and put toghether this page. I sent it to Mr. Mercurio and her loved it!!
Last week I made a trip into New York to spend the day with my daughter. She spent 8 weeks working at a very exciting internship in the city. We talked all summer about planning a day, we both wanted to see a great fashion exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of art that covered about 40 years of fashion. My daughter, now 20, has no affinity for art and has never accompanied me to a Museum, so needless to say I was thrilled when she suggested it. I also had planned to arrive very early and paint Washington Square Park, as I has promised it as a wedding gift to a special niece. All went well, up at 4:30 AM, a 5:30 local train into Philadelphia to connect with a 6:30 bus to New York. I arrived at Washington Square at 9:00 painted for two hours until my lovely daughter met me there and we walked around the village. She was growing by leaps and bounds, enjoying her independence in the city, and discovering her strengths from her working experience. It was a sweltering hot day, so after lunch we headed up to the Met to see the exhibit, and get inside away from the heat. I stowed the wet painting away in a small box I brought for this purpose. I was bogged down with easel and paint supplies, it was a bit uncomfortable, and I was looking forward to checking the stuff at the museum. After a cool subway ride, we hiked the steps to The Met and waited for our bags to be searched. "What is in The Box" the guard asked, and he made me open the box. I was thinking he would admire my work, when he informed me instead that I couldn't bring the painting into the museum because they would not be responsible for it. I begged, cajoled and pleaded telling him I did not care and would not hold the museum responsible. I then asked to speak to a supervisor, only to hear the same words, no artwork allowed at The Met! My daughter was all ready past the guard came back, and adolescence had reared its ugly head and she was having a tantrum. "I told you you either come to New York and paint or spend the day with me!" She was on the phone with her father tattling on me as well. Walking back out into the sweltering heat, exhausted and defeated we were almost in tears. The guards in The museum suggested that I leave it with a vendor. No. We walked past the vendors, my daughter still lecturing me, when we spied a stone wall with a tree growing behind it. My daughter said," just leave it behind the wall." I figured that I waited 20 years to have a museum experience with her and the painting was not as important. I could always come into the city and repaint the scene. So I placed the box on the cool dirt behind the stone wall, and with trepidation walked beck into The Met. We saw the magnificent fashion exhibit and looked at many other works of art. I found her an engaging museum partner, and was elated at the thought of having more great experiences with her other than shopping. Exhausted and saturated we walked back to the stone wall, and I found the painting waiting for me intact. We kissed and hugged goodbye. The next day, she texted me saying she had a great day and that she was sorry for getting ornery. Growth.
This was a fun day at The Devon Horse Show. Women all ages and sizes participated in a hat parade. Many of the hats were homemade decorated with flowers ,birds, fruits, vegetables, plumes, chiffon lace etc. It was a painters delight. This is a quick sketch that I did on site with the background of the Devon Horse Show grounds. The most gorgeous hat was not homeade, but made by professional hat designer Jill Henning. The model, in the orange ( middle of the painting) is wearing the Jill henning hat and won 2nd place. The 1st place winner went to the woman on the far right with the white doubledecker affair. It looked a little less professional but it was interesting. I love fashion, I started my artistic life as a fashion illustrator. This was a good way to combine fashion and art.
This year I painted at the Devon Horse Show everyday. I love the pagentry and the frenetic activity around the grounds, and behind the events. It is extremely hard to paint the horses. The anatomy is complicated and of course they are forever in motion. But, the horses are so regal, as well as the riders. I know nothing about the horse world, but I am learning. I am attracted to it all; the rich colors of the horses, the riding costumes,boots, gloves, saddles and helmuts, I am facinated by it all. I am going to study horse anatomy so next year I can go out there and plug in the horses from imagination. An artist friend of mine grew up in the horse world, she rode and now she paints the horse world. You can tell from her paintings that she is familiar with the subject matter , like an old friend. I have to work at this new friendship, hopefully I can find my niche.
I am a winner!!!! Here is my etching that I had sooo much fun doing. I utilized prints and patterns to represent the rich patterns and textures of music both classical and jazz. Etching is the same technique used by Rembrandt, it has stood the test of time just like the music on WRTI FM. I executed the piece at the Pennsylvania Academy of the fine Arts where I work as a shop assistant.
Here is a sketch I made while recently covering the Philadelphia sex abuse trial. The testimony was very graphic and disturbing. I started to work for TV as a sketch artist when I was just out of art school. I worked intensely at it for about 6 years and learned that I LOVE working from life. I covered a lot of high profile cases and even rode in a helicopter!!! Failing budgets and different News Directors tastes caused the work to diminish. After that I started to study painting seriously. 30 years later, I come back to court with better skills and still love it. Many artists prefer the solitude of the studio working quietly from photographs. For me working from life is so stimulating, and is a different and more satifying experience. I would rather push through crowds, fight for a good seat in order to capture the action in a courtroom. I love working fast, and find I make better decisions when I do not have much time. I love the energetic gestures of the attorneys, the drama, and the constant string of changing characters on the witness stand. After I am in court I am happy to be in the studio with other projects, but to be out capturing the moment is what I really love.
I couldn't imagine painting Kat without Dillon. they are a team!
was a fun day at The Devon Horse Show. Women all ages and sizes participated in a hat parade. Many of the hats were homemade decorated with flowers ,birds, fruits, vegetables, plumes, chiffon lace etc. It was a painters delight. This is a quick sketch that I did on site with the background of the Devon Horse Show grounds. The most gorgeous hat was not homeade, but made by professional hat designer Jill Henning. The model, in the orange ( middle of the painting) is wearing the Jill henning hat and won 2nd place. The 1st place winner went to the woman on the far right with the white doubledecker affair. It looked a little less professional but it was interesting. I love fashion, I started my artistic life as a fashion illustrator. This was a good way to combine fashion and art.
