Dell Gorman
Art Bio
Dell began her art career at age 64, a
few years after retiring from teaching English and
journalism at Watson Chapel High School. She had
never had any art courses in college, but she had
studied for two weeks when her seniors had early
graduation with school art instructor Reggie
Powell. With his very detailed advice, she
mastered a painting of a Chinese girl which she has
hanging in her home today.
"I thought after that painting, I was an
artist. My next tries, many over the following
summer, without Reggie's advice, were disasters.
When I hit a snag, Reggie was not there to tell we what
to do. So I put my few paints away for 20
years." A chance encounter with Barbara Owen,
local artist and PBAL member, led her to the Pine Bluff
Art League. From there it was a feverish pursuit
of art, from pastels to watercolor to acrylic, one after
another trying to find what was most compelling and what
best suited her abilities and interests. While
primarily self-taught, she has tried to learn from every
member of the League and taken every course offered in
the surrounding area. Along with Barbara Owen,
Jane Borecky was an early guide and influence.
"When you get a late start at something you love,
your time becomes precious. I paint almost every
day. There just does not seem to be enough time to
learn what most of my art friends have known for
years."
Dell attributes her early love for art
to an innate sense of color and form. She grew up
in South Central Arkansas where nature may be at its
best. The lakes and streams, tall pines and
stately oaks, kudzu vines and fox grapes along with bull
nettles and sand beds deep enough to make
"toad-frog houses" and "baby
tracks": all made an impression on her eye
for composition at an early age.
Dell "doodled" her way through
almost every class she attended, from high school to
post-graduate work, with glamorous women's faces or
comic-strip kids and animals. "Those early
doodles made me comfortable in attempting to paint
portraits, and people have become a focus in the
paintings I most love to try." Another plus
was her travels, both in the states and abroad.
Her first points of interest on any trip were art
galleries. The Chicago Institute, the Tate Gallery
in London and finally the Louvre, were just delightful
and inspiring. Today, Dell juggles four
grandchildren with her new love for painting. So
far, the two compliment each other. Some of her
early sales and awards have been for paintings of her
grandchildren.
Artistic Interest: "Let history
label me."
Media: Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastels
Email: N/A
Phone: 870.879.2852
Gallery: (artwork is for sale* -
contact artist)
Shipping and handling charges are not included in the prices
noted below.
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