Amapoles

Dorothy Maestas
Watercolor

Art and travel have always played an important part in my life. I was born in Colorado and we moved to Oakland when I was five. My father was a contractor who built beautiful adobe homes in Colorado which are still well preserved, some of them passed on to second generations. He had an inventive mind and was an accomplished wood sculptor and at an early age he taught my brothers and me to draw. In the 4th grade I won a drawing contest which awarded a summer of art classes at Mills College in Oakland.

Though my schooling and work career took me in a different direction, evening art classes brought a form of relaxation. After seven years of marriage and travel, we were blessed with two children. Life was busy, and finding time to paint went out the window, so to speak. It was a hard time for me because art had been my time from the real world.

Upon discovering watercolors, I knew they were what I wanted to pursue. It’s hard to explain — I get such a wonderful and challenging feeling when starting a painting, sometimes forgetting about time. I took classes with Charlotte Severin and I’ll always thank her for being a great friend and teacher.

I have been blessed over the years; art has given me the opportunity to continue my love of travel (with wonderful friends) to different countries and areas state-side just for the pleasure of painting. I joined the Pleasanton Art League in the mid-nineties and its been my home ever since. PAL offered me friendship, encouragement and exposure to meet, learn and paint with well-known artists. There are so many fabulous artists to admire, especially in the Tri-Valley.