Artist. Creative. Explorer. Soulcare.

Evelyn Artista Facebook Page

Artist Statement

I am fascinated by the collective experiences and stories that weave through the human experience. As a storyteller, I often play with concepts of self-awareness, evolution and exposure, sensuality, vulnerability, and at times, whimsy. My work, in turn, exhibits similar narratives, providing windows to my own sense of self in order to connect to the rest of the world. I often identify deeply with the characters or scenes, finding pieces of myself on each canvas, small hints of my own being portrayed with a look, a posture, a color, or a connection.

My current body of work utilizes acrylic, ink, paper, tempera, stencils and collage to create a sense of texture and contrast. I work in bold, vibrant colors, often blending directly on the canvas, sometimes pushing, washing, or dripping medium, or pollinating my brushes with different paint colors. I frequently integrate paper, either as part of a canvas, or as torn pieces placed in ways that create or highlight the figures in my work.

Much of my work reveals a surreal view of the human body, nature, or portraiture. I delight in portraying my subjects in colors and textures that often shift the viewer to examine the work more closely. There are often many layers, with subtle and careful selections of words or symbols, and a contrast of colors to reveal the subject. In the last few years, intuition has increasingly influenced my creative process, inspiring me to create with more boldness and flow.

Biography

From a young age, I identified as an artist. I utilized art to ground myself and like many artists, put aside an integral part of my self-expression as I emerged into adulthood and focused on work, marriage, and parenting. My last taste of formal art was an art minor in my early years on the tail of a BS in Education. An Artist’s Way workshop 14 years ago reawakened by creativity. I took up photography and fell in love with Instagram, created artist trading cards, explored art journaling, and gradually grew brave enough to give my artist a voice again.

I have facilitated Creative Soulcare Workshops, supported fellow emerging artists with warm encouragement, and participated in the life-shifting work of Intuitive Painting & Soul Collage™, all significantly transformative for my own work.  Since then, I have been growing a collection that integrates my love of paper, collage, acrylic, ink, pen, adhesives and brilliant metallics. 

Stepping out into the art world with small pieces that felt big, I had my first art works accepted by Nude Nite Tampa in 2012, “Warm & True” and “Holding Spaces”—both expressions of finding myself and new directions. Since then I have continued to be represented in the internationally juried Nude Nite Tampa/Orlando, as well as Studio Waltz in Dunedin (2019-2021) among various other shows throughout the Tampa Bay area.  My most recent body of work, and that in which I work more prolifically producing an average of 50+ a year, is founded in “Intuitive Painting” introduced to me four years ago during my reawakening at the Dunedin Fine Art Center.  Painting is now a large part of my life again.

 

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

  • M.A. Mental Health Therapy / Specialization in Marriage & Family
  • B.S. Elementary Education / Minor in Art
  • Webdesigner/Developer; 2002- Present
  • Computer Consultant & Trainer; 2003-Present
  • Educator; 1992- Present

Art Event Timeline

2021
2020
2019
  • Pinewoods Creative Pinellas Campus, “PAVA Members’ Exhibit and Associated Holiday Events”, Largo, FL
  •  Studio Waltz Participant: This special event is an all-day art walk through Dunedin with 14 artists in 12 home studios. My studio carried over 50 pieces
    of work, and had over 100 people visit my backyard gallery  (Nov 16) – Dunedin, FL
  •  Redesigned Studio Waltz website
  •  Dunedin Fine Art Center: “Hue & Me” (Sept-Oct), Children. And No Napkins – Dunedin, FL
  •  Stirling Studios and Gallery: “Art to the Rescue”: Howl to the Sun, Dunedin, FL
  •   Dunedin Fine Art Center: “Student, Member & Faculty Show” #SMF (May-June), Taking Perspective – Dunedin, FL
  •   Victory Coffee: “Independent Show” (April -July), Channelside – Tampa, FL
  •   PAVA Exhibit at Octagon Arts Center – “Oracle Art Show”, Andrino/Little Friars, Largo, FL (Feb.-May)
  •  Tampa “Nude Nite” National Art Show: Movement in Black/Energy in Red, Tampa, FL (March)
  •  Orlando “Nude Nite” National Art Show: Bird on a Breeze/Grief Amidst Joy, Orlando, FL (February)
  •   Cheap Joes Art Stuff; 2019 Guide to Great Art Catalog, “What You’re Doing…“, Contemplation, pg.32
2018
  • Tampa “Nude Nite” National Art Show: Moon Lighting, Tampa, FL
  •  Stirling Studios and Gallery: “Beatles Show”: Lady Blue/ Speaking Words of Wisdom (AKA Martini Lady), Dunedin, FL
  •  Community Cafe: “Oh the Places You’ll Go”, St. Petersburg, FL
  •  Pinewoods Creative Pinellas Campus, “PAVA Members’ Exhibit and Associated Holiday Events”, Largo, FL
  •  Stirling Studios and Gallery, “PAVA Exhibit”, Dunedin, FL
2017
  • Tampa “Nude Nite”  National Art Show: Moon Lighting, Tampa, FL
  • Orlando “Nude Nite” National Art Show: Elements / Tossing the Stones, Orlando, FL
2016
  • Tampa “Nude Nite”  National Art Show: Grief Amidst Joy, Tampa, FL
  • Museo Nacional de Guillermo Valencia, “Exposición de Estudiantes”, Colombia, SA
2015
  • Tampa “Nude Nite”  National Art Show: Elements, Tampa, FL
2014
  • Tampa “Nude Nite”  National Art Show: And She Gazes, Tampa, FL
  • Facilitated Creative Soulcare (based on Artist Way) Workshops, Dunedin, FL
2013
  • 2013 – Artwork at various Art Pop-Ups during St. Petersburg Art Walk
    • Art Mash
2012 & Earlier
  • 2012 –Tampa “Nude Nite” National Art Show: Warm & True / Holding Spaces, Tampa, FL
  • 2010-2011 – Facilitated Creative Soulcare (based on Artist Way) Workshops Orlando, FL
  • 2009 – 2010 – Artist Way Workshops began calling forth my love of creativity
  • 2009 – Orlando  “FIFTY50″ IADT Faculty/Student Creative Showcase
Evelyn Dufner

Evelyn Dufner

Artist | Creative

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try” – Dr. Seuss

Artist Archive Gallery

Tickled it Sold - Evelyn Dufner
Artsy Evelyn

Nude Nite 2020 Orlando/Tampa

Nude Nite 2019 Orlando/Tampa

NudeNite-2017-Tampa

NudeNite-2017-Orlando

NudeNite-2018-Tampa

NudeNite-2016-Tampa

NudeNite-2015-Tampa

NudeNite-2014-Tampa

NudeNite-2012-Tampa