Rockford artist Michelle Dorr’s art works featuring portraits show not only her love for animals, but also her passion for bold, bright colors. Her exhibition “Michelle’s Groove: In Loving Color” which opens Friday & Saturday, October 3rd & 4th in the Kortman Gallery, offers a visually charged, colorful group of new paintings.
Not only her art is colorful, but she is surrounded by color in her home…her painting goes beyond her canvases to an environment she has created both inside and outside the house in her patio and backyard.
Dorr has been painting pet portraits for over 20 years. Her use of color and attention to detail, especially the subjects’ eyes, creates fun and lively portraits of pets, farm animals, wildlife, humans and other creatures.
“My inspiration comes from the connection humans have to animals and the important roles they play in our lives,” says Dorr. “The title of my show, “Michelle’s Groove: In Loving Color” comes from a playlist of 346 songs created on Spotify of music that I like and inspires me while I’m painting. I also want to emphasize ‘loving color’ to express not only my passion for animals, but also for bright, bold colors…so I thought it was the perfect name.”
Dorr grew up in a family of artists. Her sister, Sherrie Dorr, is also an accomplished artist, as was her father.
“I grew up in a family of artists and crafters and creativity filled my childhood,” said Dorr. “My father was a commercial artist by trade, but his true passion was pastel portraits and landscapes. His studio was at home and I spent many hours watching him create and learning his techniques to bring the subject alive, especially the eyes.”
“Michelle’s portraits seem to capture the spirit of an animal because of her attention to the eyes,” said Doc Slafkosky, Kortman Gallery director. “The old adage that the eyes are the windows to the soul, is certainly characterized in her engaging paintings. The charm of her works is that they create a personal relationship between the image and the viewer.”
“Michelle’s Groove: In Loving Color,” featuring new works by Michelle Dorr will open with an artist’s receptions on Friday, October 3rd from 5 to 9pm, and Saturday, October 4th, from 4 to 8pm upstairs in the Kortman Gallery, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. Her openings dates are part of the Fall ArtScene weekend. Her exhibit will run through November 15th.
J.R. Kortman Center for Design and Kortman Gallery are open Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 6pm and Saturdays, 11am to 5pm. The opening event and gallery are free and open to the public. For more information phone 815-968-0123.