Dayle Ann Stratton: a short biography related to making art

"You are always the student in a one-person art school. You are also the teacher of that class." (Irwin Greenberg)

Dayle Ann Stratton studied art design, painting, and photography at college while majoring in science. After graduation, she spent a year at the Oregon School of Arts and Crafts studying ceramics and exploring non-functional form. She considers this her grounding in art. She feels that not being an art major turned out to be a good thing, because she was able to explore subject and style on her own. From that time on, she became a self-taught artist—but hastens to add that “self-taught” doesn’t mean working in a vacuum.

During her career in environmental science and management, Dayle Ann continued to study art through classes and workshops, visiting museums and galleries, hanging out with artists, and “just making art”. In the aftermath of a serious disease, she returned to art, beginning with kiln formed glass. An injury made it impossible for her to work with glass, and she began painting again. “Paint and glass have a lot in common: color, form, light. Both are very tactile, something I need. I fell in love again with painting, and with noodling with other materials.” She also began weaving, another extension of her love for color and texture.

Her paintings reflect her intimate relationship with her surroundings, both domestic and landscape. Though her paintings represent real places and people, she is not a realist.

“I look for the essence of my relationship to my subject, and try to communicate that in my paintings. So in a sense I suppose I am something of an abstract painter, though my subjects are recognizable. You might have to work a little bit to find the underlying meaning, which for you will probably be different than it is for me.”

The Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, Vermont- exhibiting artist (current)
Vermont Pastel Artists annual show, exhibiting artist
The Woods Museum, Montpelier, Vermont 2007
Exhibit, Charlotte, Vermont 2008
The Artisan's Gallery 2009
The Brandon Artists Guild ("BAG" Gallery), exhibiting artist, 2007-2008

Portland State University, BS (major in science while also studying art and photography)

Oregon School of Arts and Crafts, ceramics and sculpture, 1981-1982

Selected for student exhibit, and represented in general gallery

The Evergreen State College Graduate Program of Environmental Studies

The Evergreen State College, workshops in various arts media

Warm Glass Conference 2005, Corning, NY, workshops in kiln-formed glass

Workshops and artist sessions, various locations.