Teach about Black Artists Series: Dina Dee
What was your Journey to Becoming an Artist?
Before I was an artist, I had left my job to do photography full time. I initially helped my mother create and manage a crochet shop on Etsy. My mom passed away in 2014. My whole family is really close, and I was quite close to my mom. We spent a lot of time together.
Usually, when I have something on my mind, I journal. I was at a park and couldn’t write in my journal and unload my feelings. I went home and picked up my mom’s acrylic paint tubes and supplies. After grabbing the supplies, I returned to the park and just started painting. I pretended like I was my mom. I painted nine paintings in that one sitting. With each painting, the emotions that I went through were very different. I had tears on some of the first ones.
I took all of my mom’s crochet down and I put the paintings all up on the shop. They sold like crazy! The next day I went back to the park and painted nine more paintings. They just kept selling. That is how I started. I will never forget that day.
My intent is to make art that stirs the soul and connects us not only to the human experience, but also to what lies beyond our sight. My creative process is about relationship/connection…to the beauty of the world, but also to my soul, my spirit, and God. My process is completely organic and spontaneous ~ what emerges on the canvas is an internal language that is highly emotional and very personal, yet universal at the same time... speaking of places unseen ~ like closed eyes. My inspiration builds from the coming together of color and contrast…my work is alive with emotion through the movement of the brushwork and the luscious layered colors. Much like memories, each painting is filled with layer upon layer of paint, building a rich history into each piece. My heart is on full and pours over as I create…each painting with its own pathway; its own purpose.”
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