Dolores Cruse Kemp

When I was a child, my mother always talked about her experience as an art student when she attended Howard University. I was especially fascinated by her tales of the anatomy class that she visited with medical students to examine the musculature of the human body. She was a strong influence in my art life and always supported my efforts no matter how elementary. I always had drawing paper and crayons in my home, including my favorite…a coloring book!

I became an art student and graduated with a degree in art education from Morgan State University. After teaching briefly in the Washington, D.C and New York City Public Schools, I enjoyed expressing my art through drawing and painting for my family and friends.

After gaining a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and teaching for several years, I returned to my study of art. I have been coached by instructors at the Silvermine School of Art, Fairfield University and by celebrated artists in the Fairfield County community.

My work is focused on natural forms. This study has afforded me the opportunity to really ‘see’ and appreciate the intricacies of the world of nature. When you immerse yourself in the environment both physically and spiritually, the value of protecting our water, land and air becomes evident. I dedicate these paintings to my mother’s memory and to the surroundings that inspire them.