Dana G. Abel

Painting has now been in my family’s blood for three generations. My father became a devoted Sunday painter when World War II intervened and it was not possible for him to study in this field. My daughter has become the first member of our family who studies fine art and is now a student at the Pratt Institute in New York City.

As a high school student in Poland, I considered applying to the Fine Arts Academy, but, I guess, I had read too many books about starving artists and chose Mathematics instead. Nevertheless, as a young girl I was enchanted by the pastels of Stanislaw Wyspianski, Poland’s early 20th century poet, playwright, dramatist and painter. I told myself that if ever I would be an artist I would use pastels.

Circumstances of my life did not let me to follow my inner voice until much later, but that voice was always there, nagging and whispering in my ear. At last, in 1999, I said to myself, “Do what’s always on your mind. There is no sense to wait anymore.” I asked my family and friends to give me only art supplies for birthday and Christmas presents (no more sweaters or wine bottles).

Thus I started on my quest to learn the art of pastels and attended many workshops taught by such noted pastel artists as Bill Creevy, Christina Debarry, Alan Flattmann, Tim Gaydos, Anette Adrian Hanna, Alexander Piccirillo, Richard Pionk, Claire Schroeven Verbiest, Ruth Stecher, Jimmy Wright and Frank Zuccarelli.

I am mostly interested in still lives and portraits and I paint only from life. In portraits, my goal is to convey psychological truth, not just a pleasing demeanor. In still lives, I am especially taken by flowers and try to create a melancholy mood, fragility.

For the last five years, I have been a member of Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood, New Jersey, where I study pastels with Basil Baylin. In addition, I have increased my studio time with extended art instruction with Christina Debarry and Alexander Piccirillo.