FAQ's
For guidelines regarding the use of images featured on this website, click here.
I
created this page to answer some of the most common questions regarding my
art. If you have
a question that is not addressed on this page, or if you
wish to share your thoughts and comments with me, feel free to email me at dcawley@pobox.com.
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Where do you get ideas for your artwork?
I've created
a page entitled Ideas
& Inspiration to address this
question in specific detail. Ideas originate anywhere,
everywhere. I can be scanning the pages of a magazine and
find inspiration in an advertisement. But instead of a man and
woman promoting a fragrance or designer jeans, for example, I see that
same couple embracing in an ivy-shrouded courtyard or forest
cathedral. A fashion layout can inspire imagery of angels, whereas
Sports Illustrated is a good resource for mermaids. Sometimes imagery from a movie can spark an idea.
Many of my paintings have their origins in dreams. I'm fascinated
by dream symbolism and I've recorded my dreams in a journal for
years. I often make sketches to accompany journal entries and
flesh them out later on canvas. Since dreams have a way of
evaporating from memory, I write them down immediately ... so I'm
sometimes scrawling notes and thumbnail sketches during the wee hours of
morning. Even my cats think
I'm crazy!
Why are there so many
"Works in Progress"?
I rotate the paintings I work
on to keep from overworking them. I enjoy painting textures like silk, leather and metal. Given the time, I could easily indulge this
passion and spend hours detailing a single area ... which is fine until
that area becomes overworked. I also set paintings aside when I become too critical
of them. I've found that, given a short timeout,
whatever it was that vexed me about a painting is no longer worrisome
after a few days. If I'm still not satisfied, I've had time to study on the problem and
move forward.
Did you major in art?
No, I majored in psychology.
Art and psychology complement one another beautifully.
Did you receive any formal art training?
Most of my art training has been informal and self-taught. My mother, an artist herself, began mentoring me at a very early age. I enrolled in various art classes but often found them stifling. I was typically moved into "Independent Study" status, which usually remained self-taught. After confronting an art instructor who insisted that his students draw like him, I dropped out of the high school art program. It seemed natural to everyone else that I should apply to an art college, but I chose instead to work as a commercial artist while pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
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What is your favorite medium?
Acrylic. The rapid
drying time of acrylic allows me to add layer upon layer of detail to a
painting. The much slower drying time of oils makes them an unforgiving medium when you share a studio with several
cats. They are my creative muses, though, so
banning them from my studio is not an option. Tenacity, because opportunity and
luck are as important as skill. And never buy into your own
PR. I've met artists who are arrogant and rude and their
artwork wasn't even very good! I'm proud of my artistic
skills, but I also realize there are folks out there with greater
artistic skills. And while I can draw, I can't tune a guitar
or throw a football, so I don't play the role of elite artiste. Many of the paintings featured
in my gallery are owned by private collectors and therefore not for
sale. If an original painting is available for sale, I will indicate
the price beneath the image of the painting. |
Can I use your artwork on my web site?
All images on these pages are copyrighted by Dori Cawley. Anyone wishing to use one of my images on another site must first obtain permission from me. An email request is all that is necessary. I usually grant permission except to commercial or pay sites. Once permission is granted, the following must be observed:
* Each image must remain unaltered
* Each image must be clearly labeled
"COPYRIGHT Dori Cawley"
*
A link to this site (www.thistlehaven.net) must be
provided
If you have any questions concerning the use of my images
please email me at dcawley@pobox.com.
Can I download your artwork?
Yes, but images
may not be
altered and
must be for personal
use only. All images on these
pages are copyrighted by Dori Cawley. Anyone wishing to use an image
for anything other than personal use must first obtain
permission from me.
Can I use your images
for body art?
Yes, as long as the
image remains basically unaltered. Since the "COPYRIGHT DORI
CAWLEY" proviso would be inappropriate for body art, remember my name
when folks ask you about the tattoo!
Do you have a Guest
Book or newsletter?
If you would like to receive updates, such as when a new painting is featured in my gallery, email dcawley@pobox.com and type "Guest Book" in the subject box. I distribute periodic newsletters to the folks registered in my Guest Book.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All artwork copyrighted
by Dori Cawley / Thistlehaven Studio
- All Rights Reserved -