Doreen Beers
Nancy Friedman
Doreen and her husband moved all the way from Chandler into a villa to downsize and decrease the maintenance required of their larger home. The multitude of classes here really got her excited, so last September, Doreen was glad to retire from a very physical job with too many hours, not to mention a long commute. She had been a quality assurance inspector for the emergency slides on airplanes.
When asked what type of art background she had, her response was, “I’ve done card crafting for probably 20 years, calligraphy, cross-stitch, and crochet as well. I was a Stampin’ Up sales person for several years and have always enjoyed the artistic and creative skills required for stamping.”
With her interest in art, she initially joined the Pottery Club which for the simple fun of it, but she soon realized that it wasn’t her passion. She also joined the card making class that she still enjoys. But after taking a beginning drawing class with Kathy Arend, she realized her passion, which was further solidified about a year ago when she took a watercolor class. Doreen started drawing cotton bolls that appealed to her sense of color and nature. “From then on, it was birch trees, feathers, fish, fishing lures, and just about everything else and the rest is history.”
Asked how she feels about going to the Fine Arts Studio, she stated, “When I’m drawing and painting, I go to my happy place. The wonderful people of the Fine Arts Guild are so supportive and generous with their knowledge. Every time I go to the studio, I learn something new. I’m looking forward to my next venture into pencil and ink drawings, which is a class I will be attending in November.”
Doreen continued, “Whenever someone says ‘I can’t draw a straight line,’ I tell them art isn’t about drawing straight lines. We all have an artist in us, and there are so many mediums to explore until you find your own happy place. I may not be the best artist, but every drawing I do teaches me something and makes me strive to do better. When I draw a Ninjango character for my grandsons, I feel like a superstar because they don’t care how perfect it is; they just love that I do it for them. I will continue taking every class offered when possible and try to spend as much time with the incredible people who have helped me on my journey. They are a great support group, making me feel special. I would recommend the Fine Arts group for anyone who wants to create something innately theirs. There is no ‘bad’ art.”
Doreen’s work can be seen at the Fine Arts Studio, with many of her pieces for sale.
She will also be demonstrating her drawing and watercolor talent at the Fine Arts Guild Open House on Nov. 9 between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Studio II of the Creative Arts Center.