Soft Light 2 Painting

Capturing both local landscapes and fantasy scenes in vibrant hues, Eileen Dorsey paints meditative forests of light and color. Dorsey expresses the energy of the places she visits through impressionistic or expressionistic marks. Emphasizing our connection to nature as a healing and rejuvenating experience, Dorsey’s paintings transcend reality to achieve an emotional impact. This specific painting is what Dorsey describes as an “Oil Reduction” work; a combination of monotype printmaking, spontaneous marks and chance. She begins her works with 2 canvases. One of the canvases has an acrylic background wash painted on it in multiple colors. The second canvas has a wet oil painting detailing a colorful forest. Dorsey takes the wet oil painting and lays it on top of the dry acrylic painting, lightly applying pressure to the surface with her hands in a gentle massaging motion. She then peals the paintings from one another. Not all the paint has transferred onto the acrylic one. The background is seen peeking through in some sections. Whereas the original oil painting has lost all of its details. Leaving a soft, pastel-like appearance. The results are spontaneous and unpredictable. Both paintings are mirror images that look nothing like one another. This painting was the second of 2 pulls from the original oil painting. Dorsey studied fine art at Kent State University under Charles Basham, who left a lasting impression on her work, culminating in a joint exhibition at the Massillon Museum of Art. She won Cleveland Scene’s Best Artist in 2023, 2020 and 2018, and Cleveland Magazine’s Best Artist in 2021, 2020 and 2019. In celebration of her artistic endeavors the Mayor of Westlake honored the former Westlake resident by giving a proclamation, officially naming July 31st of 2021 “Eileen Dorsey Day.”