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Connie Dallas
Painting
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Connie Dallas first found notoriety when she won first prize in a local art exhibit in Edmonton in the late seventies. She later moved to Anchorage, Alaska where she became the featured Marinescape painter, as Connie Sweet in Alaska’s premier gallery, Stephen Fine Arts. In1985 she broadened her repetour painting Alaskan landscape and wildlife which led to the release of the limited edition print, Wonder’s Great and Small. Shortly after the release of that print, her daughter, Keziah, died in a tragic accident causing Connie’s brush to fall silent for ten years.
It was in 1995 that the inspiration to paint again returned after seeing a beautiful piece of reverse painted lighting in an antique gallery. After five years working to perfect the technique, she won immediate acclaim after the release of her new collection of reverse painted chandeliers. The Discovery channel aired a segment on the Lynette Jenning show featuring Connie’s work. The Charlotte Observer then did a feature article giving Connie the cover page in the arts section. Her success culminated with her work being sold in some of the finest galleries in Florida.
As the mother of the very talented and successful photographer/artist, Anna Sweet , Connie helped Anna launch her body of work. Anna in turn was inspiration for Connie's newest body of work, The Mischievous Mermaid. It is a whimsical series that wraps the romance of the sea, pirates, mermaids and drinking into a dramatic visual pictorial of her imagination. The images each tell a story that is relatable to anyone who loves tropical breezes, warm days, and the occasional imbibing.
The originals are painted in acrylic and oil and then embellished with various resins for effect including glow in the dark pigments. The prints are mounted on aluminum, hand detailed and then sealed in resin.
"When I embarked on the creation of the reverse painted lighting series, it was all about the way light traveled through color. I was able to catch hues of color more brilliant and intense than I was able to achieve on canvas. The results, to me, were breathtaking. The chandeliers were received with enthusiasm . The frustrating part for me was that each one was so labor intensive, and there was no way to duplicate the originals.
The Mischievous Mermaid series was born out of the most recent stage of my life. A stage where I moved to Curacao for a year and learned to dive. For the first time, I was witness to the beauty, harmony and beautiful colors of the reef lying just below the waters' surface. The days were hot and the nights sultry. Sun- kissed skin and salty breezes gave way to moonlit nights warmed by rum and romance. It was a magical time that I have tried to draw upon as my inspiration to tell the stories of tropical fantasies that still ring true today. I hope for a moment, as you gaze upon my my images, you may follow me there.
