My Art Walk to the Contemporary Masters

By Dorothy Slikker

Dorothy Slikker made an immediate impression on us with her masterful technique and the beauty of her compositions. Her works range from realistic to realistic— impressionistic, portraits, landscapes and animals, subjects in a genre which is unforgiving of the slightest technical misstep, and with Dorothy’s work, the viewer will find

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReadersMagnet LLC
• Release date: May 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948864442

Dorothy Slikker

Dorothy (Sanders) Slikker was born in Bakersfield, Ca. on 12/01/1940. My life started in Bakersfield, California, soon after we moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where the war took its toll on the Sanders Family, leaving a divorced mother and three children. After the war my mother met and married a farmer, whom became my new father. He ruled with a stern hand and I dared not disobey his every command. I always loved art and in Grade School I took 1st place in an art contest painting a tree in water colors. Later when I went to High School I wanted to take some art courses, (my father said no) wanting me to take classes in Business so that someday if I needed to I could support myself in the Business World. In his terms art was not necessary. I obeyed. After being married for 9 years and having three sons, I wanted to do more with my life. John said why don't you take those painting lessons you wanted to take. I felt as though I couldn't do it as I had lost all confidence in my ability to paint. I forged on with John's prodding and found out I could still paint and the brush has never left my hand since 1976. Lois Fox was my teacher and LOOK AT ME NOW!!!Thanks Lois We bought property in Pahrump, NV. in 2002 and I started showing in the local shows and I met a wonderful woman who came up to me and said we were going to be good friends for the rest of our life and I said how do you know? She said because we paint alike. Wonderful DORIS SMITH took me all over the country painting with famous artist of our time. She made my life have meaning and pulled the fun of it into my life. Doris is the one who introduced me to my Mentor Robert Warren. Robert Warren gave me the knowledge and the confidence to move forward into teaching his method of art and obtaining my ultimate goal of CONTEMPORARY MASTERS. ¬ e world is wonderful and it must be recorded in our time with our art.

Book preview

My Art Walk to the Contemporary Masters

Copyright © 2018 by Dorothy Slikker

Published in the United States of America

ISBN Paperback: 978-1-948864-43-5

ISBN Hardback: 978-1-948864-45-9

ISBN eBook: 978-1-948864-44-2

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

Scriptures marked KJV are taken from King James Version (KJV): King James Version, public domain.

The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of ReadersMagnet, LLC.

ReadersMagnet, LLC

10620 Treena Street, Suite 230 | San Diego, California, 92131 USA

1.619. 354. 2643 | www.readersmagnet.com

Book design copyright © 2018 by ReadersMagnet, LLC. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Ericka Walker

Interior design by Shieldon Watson

Contents

DEDICATION

JOHN W. SLIKKER JR

INTRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

PAINTING WITH ROBERT WARREN

AFTER ROBERT WARREN

DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book to my husband and best friend

JOHN W. SLIKKER JR

John was the one who told me if you want to paint, go do it. As it turns out he really meant what he said. John has supported me all the way. When I asked if I could study with Robert Warren the answer was yes, I told him it would mean traveling to Ohio for three different times to receive my accreditation and be able to teach as one of his teachers. Now that took him awhile to answer. But as usual he smiled his slow grin and said ok. We drove a car, went by plane and train. It was a lot of fun and I made friends from all over the country. With all my heart I thank you John.

Beverly Ann Sivils if you had not encouraged me to paint with you I probably would not have kept painting. I was surprised at how my work improved as we painted together each week in my home. I guess we were lucky that our parents married each other and we became sisters. Sisters we are and sisters we will be through eternity

Jon and Monica Slikker thank you for that once in a life time trip to NY for my art reception at the Agora Gallery, that gallery is what spearheaded my art career. I am so deeply grateful.

INTRODUCTION

Take my hand as we walk along the path to my becoming a Master Artist.

How was this accomplished? It took thirty-eight years for me to accomplish this fantastic step in my life. Like all young people I had art in grammar school, we did drawing and ceramics. In the 7th grade I made a girl carrying a bible. The other kids made the ring ash trays for their parents. Later in the 8th grade we did drawings for the cafeteria art show, I did a tree in water colors and I took 1st place. This really got me hooked on art.

This turned me on to the desire to take Art in High School. My father said no to that notion and made me take the direction of business. He stated that you couldn’t make a living in art, but you could support yourself in a business environment. This was the way of thinking in the 1950’s. I never picked up a brush until 1976. I had married, started my own business and had three sons. Still I wanted to PAINT.

John told me that if I wanted to paint take those lessons you keep talking about and paint. I started with Lois Fox at the Mize Gallery in Bakersfield, CA. One of my first paintings was the Fog. It was one of the most awful paintings that has ever been done, did I ever get a lot of voice on that one. Every one made fun of my desire to be a serious artist. It broke my heart, but I would not let them know how much it hurt, I just kept going forward with more effort.

As I kept painting I started entering the Kern Co Fair. The first year I took 2nd place in the amateur division, the 2nd year I made Honorable Mention, This brought on the teasing and contempt for my work, saying things like you can’t place. You are losing it. It took