dori spector
Dori Spector graduated from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia in 1978 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. For the next 10 years Ms .Spector worked as a courtroom sketch artist for local and national television. In 1987 she enrolled at The Art Students League of New York to study painting. She was awarded a merit scholarship and studied full time with painters Harvey Dinnerstein and David Leffel. “I fell in love with painting form in light and shadow in the north lit studios of The Art Students League. From Mr. Leffel, I learned to see beauty in the still life. From Mr. Dinnerstein, I was greatly influenced by his deep devotion to realism, his craft, and seeing the truth in subject matter.” After 3 years of study, Ms. Spector left the League, and worked in her home studio while caring for her young daughter, Sara. She continued her study on a part-time basis with figurative painter Burton Silverman and landscape painter John Phillip Osbourne. In 1995 Ms. Spector started to paint primarily landscape in order to preserve the vision of Ardrossan Farm, an 800 acre dairy farm that was being developed into homes. The land, owned by Hope Montgomery Scott, was home to 280 head of dairy cattle for over 100 years. “It was thrilling to capture the essence of the farm with which the people felt so emotionally attached, as their children were raised in its sphere of influence.” As she painted by the road onlookers would stop to chat and tell Ms. Spector of their favorite parts of Ardrossan Farm. For three consecutive years, Ms. Spector had three solo shows about Ardrossan Farm. After painting outdoors in every season, Ms. Spector decided to change her focus and enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts to study printmaking, and in 2001 she joined in with a group of artists to study figurative painting and drawing with Nelson Shanks at Studio Incamminati. At Incamminati, she found the same dedication to realism and struggle for excellence that was so evident at the Art Students League of New York. She continues to paint at her home studio while studying drawing at Studio Incamminati, and pursuing printmaking at The Pennsylvania Academy of The Fine Arts. “Continual study keeps me fresh, and focused on my desire for accuracy. It also is a nice change from the loneliness of the studio”. Ms. Spector has shown paintings in many juried exhibitions including The National Academy of Design Annual Show in New York, The Society of Illustrators Annual in New York, and several shows at the National Arts Club in New York. She also shows in galleries in and around Philadelphia, including Artist’s House, The Carol Schwartz Gallery, The French Lemon Gallery, and in Virginia South Carolina and Maryland. She is represented by Barbara Dilsheimer and Associates. She has been an instructor at The Wayne Art Center since 2000. “I paint what calls to me during my daily routine, whether it is children sliding down a snowy hill at dusk, roses that bloom in front of my house, or fresh produce at the market. I am never at a loss of ideas for paintings; however I am always searching for a higher degree of skill to execute them.”