Deb Dahlin

About the Artist

I am from Syracuse, New York and taught art for 26 years in New York State. I have a MS Degree from Syracuse University and 55 graduate credit in fine arts beyond from SU. I moved to Sun City permanently in 2017. I am the current Vice President of the Artists by the Lake club at the Lakeview Center in Sun City, I am also a member of the Palo Verde Art Club, Vanguard Art Group, WHAM and the Sun City Clay Club where I enjoy sculpting clay.

Pastel is my primary medium. I love combining colors and putting them next to each other to create a vibrant communication as part of the composition.  Many of the new sanded papers allow for an underpainting technique which I like to use because I began making art as a painter. This also allows me to see if the values are working before I begin applying pastel. Pastel is very direct and fast! You can pick the color right out of the box and lay it down. If you want to change it, brush it away with a stiff brush and try something else.

During Covid Shutdown, I worked more slowly and thoughtfully on my art and had the opportunity to create some of my best work. I am never done learning  what I can do to improve my technique, color choices and subject choices.  I am blessed to be able to communicate visually through my art and never miss a moment to speak my mind.

I have had many opportunities to travel as part of my teaching experiences and have been to Japan, Greece, Italy, France, Denmark, Germany Austria, China, Egypt, Ireland, Costa Rica and Mexico. I take so many pictures I was beginning to think I was a photographer. I work from my own photographs to guarantee originality. I also find the experience of travel translates well into landscape painting and gives added meaning. It is joyful to relive my experience as I paint it!

I enjoy plein air painting and Arizona gives me the perfect atmosphere of the desert, the red rocks of Sedona and a little winter in Flagstaff.  I enjoy painting all subjects such as rodeos, horses, cowboys and cactus. I work in pastel, watercolor and acrylic and rotate my painting technique and sometimes combine them into one art piece. Katherine Graham wrote “When you love what you do and you feel that it matters, how could anything be more fun?” This describes my life-long relationship to art.

Recent Juried Shows:
Above Ground: Landmarks Show 2021
West Valley Art Museum: Celebration of the Arts:2021,Honorable Mention Drawing
Glendale Fine Arts Show: Glendale, AZ. 2019, 1st Place Pastels
West Valley Art Council:  Surprise  AZ:  Members Show 2021,Bugs and Blooms 2019,Surprise Invitational, Honorable Mention, Oct 2018, Art for Animals, Sept 2018, Botanical exhibit, 3rd Place Feb 2016
Wham: Art That Takes You Back, 2018
Vanguard: Birt’s Bistro, 2018
Art Alliance of Arizona: Art Partnership Show, 2018, Holland Gallery, Scottsdale,AZ
New York State Fair: 1st Prize Graphics and 3rd Prize Acrylics 2017, 1st Prize Graphics 2016