meet our webinar guest
Dena Tollefson
Dena Tollefson (nee Dena Schaefer), born 1965, is a full-time, professional artist. Tollefson is represented in galleries nationally in New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Her "Daubism" body of work is a unique process she developed, where "daubs" of individually mixed paint are applied with a palette knife. The largest marks are applied with a serving spoon, allowing ridges of paint which catch the light and appear to dance and scintillate as the viewer moves past the painting. Tollefson’s work focuses on botanicals, ponds, skies, and her Corn Series of work, biographies where people are depicted as ears of corn. Her work is highly tactile. Tollefson graduated from Iowa State University in 1988 and lived in Dallas Texas before returning to Iowa in 1991 where she developed her unique, highly textured painting style. She lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with her husband and family. Dena Tollefson’s work hangs publicly and in private collections throughout the world. She has exhibited in juried shows in Texas, New York, California and Georgia and has won awards at the national and local level, as addition to participating in 40 gallery group shows.
Email: [email protected], Website: https://www.denatollefson.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dena_tollefson, Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/dena_tollefson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/denatollefson
Email: [email protected], Website: https://www.denatollefson.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dena_tollefson, Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/dena_tollefson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/denatollefson
Can you tell us about your introduction to art? How did you know you had a creative gift?
I was singled out in grade school by a visiting artist who tutored me in watercolor. I painted side by side with my mother- she was my first teacher for painting and sewing and cooking.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
I always wanted to be an artist. My parents encouraged me to be an engineer since math and science come very easy to me. I got into my first art gallery in the year 2000 and did both engineering and artmaking at the same time. It was tough trying to do both. Six years ago, I was able to leave a successful job as an engineer to pursue life as a full time artist. I am so thrilled to be able to concentrate fully on my art career.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have in explaining what you do to others who don’t find themselves in a creative background or field? Life family/friends/strangers?
I think people don’t expect how much time is spent on marketing and other business related tasks when you are a professional artist. It's kind of like a musician - a romantic idea that they walk around with flowers in their hair strumming a guitar periodically and once and a while focusing. It is like that with art. People don’t realize how fully entrepreneurial and business-like a visual artist needs to be to run a successful art career.
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
Follow your passion and make things which come organically from your heart. God has given us all gifts. Use His blessings to bring joy to others.
I was singled out in grade school by a visiting artist who tutored me in watercolor. I painted side by side with my mother- she was my first teacher for painting and sewing and cooking.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
I always wanted to be an artist. My parents encouraged me to be an engineer since math and science come very easy to me. I got into my first art gallery in the year 2000 and did both engineering and artmaking at the same time. It was tough trying to do both. Six years ago, I was able to leave a successful job as an engineer to pursue life as a full time artist. I am so thrilled to be able to concentrate fully on my art career.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have in explaining what you do to others who don’t find themselves in a creative background or field? Life family/friends/strangers?
I think people don’t expect how much time is spent on marketing and other business related tasks when you are a professional artist. It's kind of like a musician - a romantic idea that they walk around with flowers in their hair strumming a guitar periodically and once and a while focusing. It is like that with art. People don’t realize how fully entrepreneurial and business-like a visual artist needs to be to run a successful art career.
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
Follow your passion and make things which come organically from your heart. God has given us all gifts. Use His blessings to bring joy to others.
How do you encounter the Lord in your creativity?
I have many ways- I pray as I am painting and going about my activities. I feel like the Holy Spirit sometimes gives me a boost when I am working on a painting. My Sky Series of paintings is my idea of how God created our Earth with one breath. Every day he gives us a new sunrise and a new sunset. My Sky Series of paintings are named after characters from the Bible - this is a popular series for me and over the years I am running out of the easy names like Mary and John. I am naming paintings “Malachi’s Sky”, “Potiphar’s Sky” and “Zephaniah’s Sky.”
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
I feel like God is calling to me in a way to share my faith in Him and in Jesus Christ our Savior through testimonies on social media, and in sharing faith day to day with those we find in our daily life. I make it a point to support other artists who are also Christian, but also reach out in friendship to those who do not yet know our Lord.
How did you become productive and abundant in your artwork/and where do you see it going from here?
I have always done creative things but got serious about my painting in the late 1990’s. I don’t have an art degree (I have an engineering degree), so I entered juried art exhibitions to build up my art resume with the goal of getting into art galleries. I got in my first one in the year 2000 and art galleries have sold my originals ever since. I am now represented by multiple art galleries across the US and have a goal to go international with galleries. My work is also licensed in puzzles, bedding, art prints, pocket silk squares, and wallpaper through manufacturers who provide royalties. My goal is to increase my art licensing as well.
I have many ways- I pray as I am painting and going about my activities. I feel like the Holy Spirit sometimes gives me a boost when I am working on a painting. My Sky Series of paintings is my idea of how God created our Earth with one breath. Every day he gives us a new sunrise and a new sunset. My Sky Series of paintings are named after characters from the Bible - this is a popular series for me and over the years I am running out of the easy names like Mary and John. I am naming paintings “Malachi’s Sky”, “Potiphar’s Sky” and “Zephaniah’s Sky.”
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
I feel like God is calling to me in a way to share my faith in Him and in Jesus Christ our Savior through testimonies on social media, and in sharing faith day to day with those we find in our daily life. I make it a point to support other artists who are also Christian, but also reach out in friendship to those who do not yet know our Lord.
How did you become productive and abundant in your artwork/and where do you see it going from here?
I have always done creative things but got serious about my painting in the late 1990’s. I don’t have an art degree (I have an engineering degree), so I entered juried art exhibitions to build up my art resume with the goal of getting into art galleries. I got in my first one in the year 2000 and art galleries have sold my originals ever since. I am now represented by multiple art galleries across the US and have a goal to go international with galleries. My work is also licensed in puzzles, bedding, art prints, pocket silk squares, and wallpaper through manufacturers who provide royalties. My goal is to increase my art licensing as well.