a r t i s t  s t a t e m e n t

Dorothy Sweeney's painting and drawing have been important all of her life. Her
first formal education in art was at Middlebury College where she studied with Arthur K. D. Healy. Although she was urged to pursue the study of visual arts, instead went for M.S. in social work at Columbia University. While working in the field of social work, on the side she photographed landscapes for pleasure, occasionally showing and selling her work.

In 1994 Dorothy saw an advertisement by
Ann V. Lindsay who was teaching watercolor painting in Petersburgh, NY, for people like her who had been uncertain about their abilities. The result? Much pleasure and practice and more workshops. In 2001 she discovered pastels and began taking workshops with Virginia McNeice in Cambridge, NY. When the opportunity presents itself, she took workshops with other artists. She have studied with Skip Lawrence, Christopher Shink, Ron Ranson, and Rosalie Nadeau.

Dorothy's paintings have been seen in several local group exhibits at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Left Bank Gallery, Southern Vermont College, the Arts for Aids Festival at Bennington College, local libraries, and also the Little Gallery in Saranac Lake, NY. Recently her work was exhibited in a solo show at the Chittenden Bank in Arlington, VT
and a group show at the Canfield Gallery
of the Arlington Library. Her paintings are
also in private collections.

Painting in pastels on her own, on site, and weekly with three other pastelists at the Arlington Community Center keeps her focused and excited. Most important is the pleasure of playing with color and light. when the resulting painting pleases her and others, that is a bonus.

Contact Dorothy
by phone: 802.442.2596
by email: dapaint@sover.net