June Artist of the Month Dorie Solomon

During this time of social distancing and new rules for businesses, RioVision Gallery will not be holding our monthly artist reception. However, we will highlight an artist each month with an article and their work will be on display in the Gallery for your enjoyment.

Our artist for June is Dorie Solomon. She is one of our most talented artists who continues to paint through her trials. In 2014 she moved to Rio Vista because of deteriorating health. Her sister, Diana, was able and willing to assist her in what they hoped would be recovery. Dorie went from healthy to bed ridden in a very short time with multiple diagnoses. She could hardly walk or feed her and in was constant pain.

Dorie was a very successful artist for 50 years and was now unable to paint. She realized that painting was her life, her whole life.

With many trial and error treatments she improved enough to paint a little in watercolor but her beloved medium is oil and slowly she worked her way back to painting oils. Some days are better than others and one day she decided to attend a Trilogy Art Guild meeting and met Linda Solomon. They shared a laugh about their common last names and became fast friends. She entered a TAG show, placing first, second and best in show in oils and sold the paintings she entered. When RioVision Gallery opened she was encouraged to display there and has sold several pieces encouraging her to continue to paint through her pain. It seemed not to diminish her talent as her art just gets better and better.

Thanks to Diana, her sister, and good friends, Linda and Amy Schmidt, she says she will not die with the music inside her. Dorie paints everyday even though she uses a walker and is at last content. She felt that not being able to paint was killing her spirit. She advises us all to find something we love and find a way to do it. “Be grateful for what you do have. Be courageous, faithful and strong.”

The RioVision co-curators, Linda Solomon and Amy Schmidt, along with other volunteers are working hard to make the Gallery a safe environment with a screen at the counter and hand sanitizer at the door. Art can be appreciated without contact.

For more information about the Gallery visit our webpage at https://riovisiongallery.com/ and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/riovisiongallery/