marilyn dale

Artist Statement

'Once Upon An Art' is an homage to my cousin, Barbara, my idol since childhood. She is the big sister I did not have, 10 years my senior, the muse in my heart, the person I forever aspire to be. In this piece, I have highlighted her incredible command of language as poetry. With minimal words and intense curiosity about the world around her, she crafts poetry and short stories, even a sonnet, the belies typical speech.

In this piece, you will find glimpses of her genius. 'I roll the ball to the baby and he rolls it back but doesn't' quite know he?s doing it,' she writes. And, with enviable curiosity, she coaxes insights from our 94-year old grandmother: 'I forget how to use the words. I watch conversations and great-grandchildren grow in my very hands. I hide things and forget them, and therefore it gets easier. I fall asleep during the news, and so it gets easier.'

With a masters from the Art Institute of Chicago earned in adulthood, she is a creative, hand-built earthenware, stunning photography, and a love of books. Her mind is not like mine, or perhaps most of pours.

She is quiet, conservative; but this portrait belies that introversion. Rather, it boldly displays her inner spectrum, her ability to think differently. She once did a series of postcards, each with a stark image of a post found along the way. With this piece, I challenge you to inspire yourself as she does in her book 'Time Art' with but one line per page, always replacing the word 'time' with 'art.' I give you 'Once Upon an Art.'


Artist Statement
Marilyn Dale

My work comes in bursts of spontaneity.

My initial images may often be inspired by nature or figures. I love it when suddenly I “see” something suggested within the seemingly random marks. They surprise and delight me.

My style is rhythmic, colorful and energetic. I am simultaneously inspired by the abstract expressionists and the precisionists – striving for balance in many ways.
Painting is a Zen experience for me. Despite procrastinating on the front end, once I get started, I am energized and lost in the process. I engage in a great deal of self-talk in color mixing and selection, mark making, and always, always tweaking.

My nemesis is keeping my hands off a piece I’ve already deemed complete!