Creative Spark: Dayle Doroshow




Dayle Doroshow teaching at Maureen Carlson's Center for Creative Arts.  (click the names to view their websites)

 Change the mood
 That was the message on the "chaos card", I was directed to select, when I stopped in to say hello at Maureen's, on my return from the paint store.  Dayle Doroshow, one of the Big Names in polymer clay art, and a popular teacher in the US and abroad, was the instructor this week, and though I wasn't in the class, she included me in this Creative Spark exercise.  I was on my way home to work on a commissioned painting, so I was to use this directive to put a new spin on the piece.  One thing led to another though, and I didn't get to that project this afternoon.  However, as blogger just mysteriously deleted my nearly completed blog entry, causing a minor (okay, maybe not so minor) temper tantrum, perhaps I'll play that card now.

I love all the interesting textures, patterns, colors and details in these figures!

Originally, the posting was a brief bio, and information about Dayle and this class.  I haven't had time to actually create anything inspired by her, but I am inspired by her story, by her life, and most decidedly by her artwork.  Her class this week was about trying new things to spark interesting, creative discoveries.  Since the whole goal of this blog is to inspire you, my precious reader-friends, to try new things, you can imagine how delighted I was to stumble into this gathering!  So let me tell you how a chance encounter today has inspired me, and given my heart a change of mood...



Some of Dayle's samples for this class, in a collage I just created in my simple little photo program...look out folks, I just discovered how to blur the edges, and I fear I am in danger of attacking all photos with this treatment for awhile! 

 Dayle leads a really expansive life.  She's been a professional ballet dancer in New York, and an actress.  She now lives in California, creates fabulous mixed media art, and teaches all over the U.S. and in France, where by an interesting series of events, she came to own a home, her perfect French home, on the same street as the place she teaches.  Although Maureen originally turned me on to her work, I've seen Dayle featured in numerous magazines, and photos of her artistry in a slew of books on polymer clay and collage.  She does not hide her light, but shoots it out in seemingly all directions at once, like a pyro lighting a fireworks finale.

Why is this student smiling so contentedly?  You do see the table load of creative possibilities in front of her, right?  Add a teacher like Dayle, and a retreat center like Maureen's and what creative soul wouldn't be blissed out?

Dayle not only leads an expansive life, she's also a really expansive person.  She is generous with compliments and praise, and with her knowledge.  Though I was a party crasher, I was invited right in, given quick explanations of the various projects being worked on, and then invited to stay for the afternoon demo.  In thirty or so short minutes, my head was stuffed with dozens of sparks of ideas, challenges to think or see differently, and a resolve to re-expand my concept of the possible (I find I lose focus and let the boundaries of my life shrink, if I'm not vigilant).  There are lots of vague dreams I've left floating around in the not-really-serious realm of Some Day.  Thanks to Dayle, I find I'm in the mood to get serious about some of them.

Let Dayle spark your imagination!  Check out her website to see where she's teaching next:  Dayledoroshow.com.  If you can't make it to a class, she has a book out, co-authored with Cynthia Tinapple:

This is the first time I've grabbed such a flashy link, so in case it quits functioning at some point, just click on the link to Dayle's site in the story above.

When I'm not crashing classes at Maureen's, I do actually work at creating inspiring environments for my clients.  You can check out my website at theartofthehome.com, for more information on that.

If you have questions about a creative project of your own, feel free to email me.  If I know the answers, I'll be happy to share. dawnmariedelara@gmail.com.