About Dorallen Davis
Dorallen Davis is an impressionist landscape/figurative painter based in Marin County, California. She is the Director and Owner of the renowned Marin Art School, instructing students in the colorist/impressionist tradition. Dorallen is also a founding member of Colorists of Northern California.
Dorallen is well-known for her plein air paintings in the "colorist" tradition. Her paintings are exhibited in fine art galleries all around Northern California. Dorallen and Marin Art School also host (locally as well as globally) artist workshops and have facilitated other workshops with accomplished painters such as Manuel Neri, Cedric Egeli and Jove Wang.
Plein Air Painting and Artist Workshops
Browse through Dorallen's online galleries, which are categorized as Plein Air Landscapes, Figures In Landscape, Portraits and Figures, and Still Life.
The Exhibitions area shows where her plein air paintings are showing currently as well as Past Exhibitions.
Check out the Workshops page to see if any are scheduled. Keep your eyes open for those traveling workshops to Tuscany, Italy!
Please Contact Dorallen if you'd like to inquire exhibitions, workshops, or paintings for sale. She would love to hear from you.
Dorallen Davis Award
The Best of Show winning entry in Marin Fair's Plein Air Competition is named in honor of Marin County Artist Dorallen Davis. Dorallen Davis is an impressionist landscape/figurative painter. She is the Director and Owner of the renowned Marin Art School, instructing students in the colorist/impressionist tradition. She is also a founding member of Colorists of Northern California. Dorallen is well-known for her plein air style paintings. Her work is exhibited in fine art galleries all around Northern California. Dorallen and Marin Art School also host (locally as well as globally) artist workshops and has facilitated other workshops with accomplished painters such as Manuel Neri, Cedric Egeli and Jove Wang.
Professional Experience
| 2006 - 2012 | Director, Teacher, and Co-Founder of the Marin Art School. The school's primary purpose is to give adult students a strong foundation in the skills and discipline related to creating realistic art. |
| 2003 - 2010 | Teacher of drawing and painting, privately and in groups. |
| 2003 - 2006 | Teacher of drawing and painting, Tamalpais Redwood High Schools,Adult & Community Education Programs. |
| 2005 | Taught 5-day en plein air workshop, Mt. Shasta, CA. |
| 2004 | Taught 5-day en plein air workshop, Bodega Bay, CA. |
Awards and Honors
| 2009 | Won "Bay View" and "Quick Draw" awards in regional plein air competition, Alameda, CA. |
| 2008 | First Place, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art juried show, Novato, CA. |
| 2006 - 07 | Eight awards for figurative and landscape painting, Marin County Fair. |
| 2005 | Best of Show, Art League of Northern California, Novato, CA. Featured artist, Ritter Center's "Art with a Heart", San Rafael, CA Featured Artist, Discovery Museum of Sausalito, Sausalito, CA. |
| 2001 | First Place, and People's Award, Mill Valley Court House Gallery, Mill Valley, CA. |
Education and Affiliations
Vice President of Board of Directors, Marin Arts Council (2011 > present)
Member, California Art Club
Member, International Plein Air Painters
Member, Portrait Society of America
Member, Art Works Downtown
Member, Marin Arts Council
Member, Marin Museum of Contemporary Art
Attended San Francisco State University and College of Marin (studied with Chester Arnold and Kent Rupp)
Also have studied with colorists Jane Heaphy, Cedric Egeli, Joanette Egeli, and Camille Przewodek, and artists Jove Wang and Manuel Neri
Portrait Painter for the 1964 World's Fair, New York City, NY
International experience painting in Italy, Portugal, Canyon
de Chelly, and Mexico.
Work in the collections of:
Manuel Neri, Benecia, CA
Wayne Sobon, Sonoma, CA
Sam and Vicky Sebastiani, Sonoma, CA
Bob McDonald, Sonoma, CA
Al Boro, San Rafael, CA
John Lama, San Francisco, CA
Bill and Sheri Feast, Baltimore, MD
Steve and Jill Fugaro, Mill Valley, CA
Colleen Brown, Bethesda, MD
MaryJo and Pete Sorensen, Mill Valley, CA
Rick and Charlotte Elenberger, Longwood, FL
Norma Anapol, San Rafael, CA
Helene and Norman Onaga, Alameda, CA
Debra Neidermeyer, Mill Valley, CA
Represented by:
Robert Beck Gallery, San Anselmo, CA (www.beckgallery.org)
Artist Statement
Painting for me is not a choice but a way of life. My journey has taught me that seeing, and then translating what I see, is the real "truth" in my painting. I want to capture the moment when I first see and feel that glimmer of light on the landscape.
I am especially grateful to live in Marin County, where water and land connect, and we are surrounded by beauty. I was born and raised here, and my perceptions have been shaped by that experience. All the elements of nature, as well as man's imprint, converge in the San Francisco Bay Area. This ever-present source of beauty surrounds and inspires me.
I truly love to paint from life. I paint the landscape "en plein air" and also create figurative paintings and portraits in the studio, or in natural light. I am a colorist, and paint what I see and feel.