DeDe Sorensen

DeDe Sorensen

Fine Art & Prints-on-Demand

Fine Art website

Illustration website

What style of art do you use most?

Clearly, my style – whether I am working in drip and pour abstracts or photo-realism or following some other artistic movement, one can always see me in whatever I create. I view artistic movements (or styles) much like languages … it’s always my voice and words just spoken in a different language. But I see what you are asking. For my illustrative works, I use a more realistic style that suits my clients’ needs. For my fine art, I lean more toward expressionism (with a hint of realism) and all out abstraction.

Has your style changed from when you first began as an artist?

I believe my approach to art has evolved as I have grown as a person and as I have explored more forms of artistic expression. Through exploration, one settles upon those methods that best suit their means of creation and through continued practice one’s skill is perfected. However, the fundamental aspects of my work such as my use of color, how I interpret certain forms, and the subject matter I choose to portray has not changed much over the years.

What medium do you use?

I use a variety of media that is determined by the style of art I am creating, the subject matter, and what I wish to achieve. I’ve worked in oils, acrylics, graphite, inks, watercolor, soft pastels and conte. For my illustration works, I work primarily in graphite or inks (either pen or brush) as it suits my clients’ needs. I’ve worked primarily in oils over the last five or six years for my fine art works that are expressionistic/realistic in style. I use inks, dyes, metals and acrylics on rice paper for my abstract works – for the acrylics I mix them according to a special formula for use in spray bottles.

What made you choose that medium?

Graphite and inks reproduce well which makes the resulting illustration suitable for reproduction in newspapers and magazines. I prefer the way the oils respond to my brush on the canvas, the vibrant colors lend themselves well to mixing, and the lovely smell is why I use them more than other media for my fine art. The inks, dyes, metals and acrylics that I use for my abstracts react differently to the solutions I use on the paper allowing me the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised by the end result.

First Painting, “Waterfall”, Oil on Canvasboard with Knife, 15”h x 13”w

Do your ideas come from life or imagination?

I would have to say from both, as my art is a reflection of my life experience filtered through my imagination.

How do you choose your images and colors?

The colors and images I use in any piece are dependent upon the intent of the work. I first ask myself, what do I want to say with this piece? I may push the colors in order to accentuate the meaning of a particular object or to convey a mood. The images I choose to include in the work will also have significance toward conveying to the viewer the overall emotional intent of the work. As the majority of my illustrative work is in the editorial realm, I will choose the images and colors based upon reading excerpts of the material I am hired to illustrate.

Who is your favorite artist?

I have many favorites whose work I greatly admire among the masters and my contemporaries. However, my artistic heroes are Norman Rockwell and Vincent van Gogh. My work straddles the realms of realism and expressionism marrying the controlled documentation of everyday life ala Norman Rockwell with the emotional renderings of inner struggles ala Vincent van Gogh

What is your favorite piece of work by yourself?

Asking me to choose a favorite work is much like asking me to choose a favorite child from among my four children. Each painting whether created for myself or a client holds a special place in my heart. That’s not to say that I’m overly emotional about them and cannot bear to let them go, quite the contrary. It’s just that each work holds a special significance to me either because of the subject matter or the circumstances surrounding its creation.

How much time (on average) does it take to complete a work?

It depends on the media I use, the size of the finished piece, and the intricacy of the subject matter. A single illustration usually takes a day or two to produce, an abstract a few days to as much as a week, and an oil painting a few weeks to as much as a few months.

“Cocktail Calypso”, Oil on Canvas, 16”h x 20”w

How well do you take criticism?

I take criticism fairly well. I listen to what the other person is saying and weigh what is said against how qualified that person is to make such a judgment – good or bad.

I thank them for their opinion and, either I take it into consideration or not depending upon whether their suggestion(s) hold validity.

What do you do to overcome a ‘block’?

A block usually means that I need to recharge my physical or creative batteries. Sometimes, it can be as simple as taking a nap to catch up on some much needed rest. If it’s a creative block, I usually leave the studio and engage in some other creative endeavor … such as writing, reading, cooking, music, etc. If all else fails, I hash it over with my husband who is a writer and understands the creative process. More often than not, he will help me pinpoint what has me blocked creatively.

How do you know something is ‘finished’? Is it easy to walk away?

I can tell when a work is finished by whether or not it successfully conveys the message I intended and all the elements work together as a whole toward this end. I’ll usually – if I’m not under a tight deadline – step away from a finished piece and come back to it in a day or two. That way, I can get a “fresh” emotional response to the work and determine if I’ve been successful. Yes, usually I find it is easy to walk away.

Have you had any exhibits in galleries?

I began exhibiting in the fall of 1992 followed by my first sale of art and first private commission in early 1993. I have participated in a total of 50 exhibitions to date including 7 solo shows, 1 duet show, 1 trio show, 10 International group shows, 23 National, Regional & Local group shows, and 8 performance painting demonstrations. The majority of these exhibitions have been by invitation or by jury. I have exhibited in commercial galleries, government buildings, and public spaces in the following cities: Caldwell, Nampa, and Boise, ID; Hanover, New Oxford, Gettysburg, and Harrisburg, PA; Miami Beach, FL; Laconia, NH; Naugatuck, CT; Charlotte, NC; Menlo Park, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, CA; Minneapolis, MN; New York City and Groton, NY.

My artworks have been featured on television, in newspapers and magazines in the U.S., Spain, France, and Argentina. I have had two works acquired for permanent collection with museums — one in the U. S. and one in England. My works are in private collections throughout the United States including collectors in Pennsylvania, Idaho, Kentucky, California, Michigan, Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, and in corporate collection in Kentucky.

Some past exhibitions of note:

? Featured Artist Competition Winner, The Art of Performance Exhibition

Altered Esthetics Gallery, Minneapolis MN. My painting, Moonrise Tango, is published in the Gallery Calendar (January 2009), as well as, on all promotional

materials and press releases for the exhibition. (Juried)

?Stuff Your Face (2007); The Main Street Gallery of Contemporary Fine Art, Finger Lakes Region, Groton NY . (Juried)

?Grand Nationals Celebration of Western Art (2004); Cow Palace Gallery

San Francisco CA. (Juried)

?Olympics in the Mediterranean – A Celebration in Painting; Instituto Italiano di Cultura (2004); San Francisco CA. (Juried)

?9/11 Memorial Exhibition “Prevailing Human Spirit”; Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration (Jan/Feb 2002); and “Prevailing Human Spirit – Revisited”; Lobby of the United Nations Building (Sep 2002); NYC. (by Invitation)

“Visitation Shoji”, Inks/Dyes/Metals on Rice Paper, 58”h x 40”w

Have you any exhibits in galleries planned for the future?

Yes, I will be exhibiting five abstract works in a group show in April at APW Gallery in New York City.

What are your plans for the future?

The immediate future, I am completing works for the show in April. After that, I will be back at work on my Seaside Silhouette Series and will send exhibition proposals out to galleries who expressed an interest in exhibiting them once completed.

What advice would you give new artists?

Mind your “P’s & Q’s” and with continued persistence you will make it in the art business. You may ask, what are the P’s & Q’s? The ‘P’ stands for professionalism … no matter what course your art career takes, you will need to present yourself and your work either to galleries or to clients. These people want to work with artists who arrive on time, are well groomed, and prepared for the task at hand. The ‘Q’ stands for quality … you should endeavor to create work of the highest quality and to prepare marketing/portfolio materials that accurately reflects this high quality. Educating yourself on appropriate business practices and maintaining the highest quality of work along with continued persistence to endure in spite of rejection is the secret to success.

Have you done any courses to help you?

Apart from the business courses I took in school and my prior work experience in the Army and the private business sector, I have not taken any courses. However, I have been a faculty member, art conference panelist, art workshop lecturer, art-business mentor and a published arts-business author instructing artists on public relations and marketing, building mailing lists, utilizing the Internet to display, market & sell art, as well as, basic business practices and contract issues therefore I stay abreast of any changes that impact our industry such as copyright issues like the Orphan Works Bill.

What do you do to market your work?

I use professional affiliations to network with artists, gallery directors, and other arts professionals. I utilize my mailing list by sending out periodic mailings to current collectors and prospective clients and send out traditional press releases when applicable.

I enter some juried exhibitions if the gallery is of interest to me and I also send out exhibition proposals to galleries for future exhibitions. Of course, I utilize the Internet by maintaining a website – actually two; one for fine art, one for illustration – and am a member of an online gallery site that also offers Print-on-Demand.

Do you use social networking in your day to day life?

I am on Myspace and have gathered quite a few friends there – celebrities, artists, authors, galleries, musicians, actors – pursuing various artistic endeavors. My profile is located here: http://www.myspace.com/dedesorensen I also have a blog called Paint and Pen: Observations, Celebrations, and Frustrations of a Freelancer by Artist, Author DeDe Sorensen. My blog is located here: http://paintnpen.blogspot.com/

“Dueling”, Graphite, Illustration for SF/Fantasy Short “O One”; Sable Magazine, 11”h x 8.5”w

Are you available for work (commissions)?

Yes, I am available for commissions either by private individuals, institutions or corporate entities. I am also available for illustration jobs – I specialize in editorial illustration, cover art and portraiture. I welcome all serious inquiries from collectors, artist representatives, art consultants and galleries in regard to commissions, representation, purchase or exhibition.

Have you got hobbies?

Yes, I enjoy gourmet cooking & baking, reading, music, interior design and carpentry. I watch cooking and home improvement shows, Deadliest Catch and Dirty Jobs, CSI:NY and Forensics/Crime Reality Documentaries on television. I’m also a competition show junkie and tune in weekly to shows like Top Chef, Next Food Network Star, Next Design Show Star, Hell’s Kitchen, Last Restaurant Standing and the like.

Where are you based?

I’m based in Hanover, PA located in the south central region of the state – easily accessible to Baltimore, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, & Pittsburgh via car or bus, and New York City via train, as well as, being close to BWI for air travel to points more distant.

Of course, I’m accessible world wide via the Internet.

“ Miami – Work in Progress” Diptych, Oil on Canvas, one of the twenty works in my Seaside Silhouette Series, 2 @14”h x 11”w