Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Dare Dentiste.
Hi Sophie Dare. We appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Formally trained at Wake Forest and then a BFA from the UGA, I was taught hands-on creation of typography and design. After eloping in Jacksonville Fla to a navy man, I balanced life as a special needs parent while creating a business as a muralist in Ponte Vedra Beach – a prolific experience of capturing exotic gardens, foliage, and wildlife aesthetics to transform a home with hand-painted art. This began my love of fast-drying acrylics and layering old-world textures. After a traumatic loss in 2002, of our oldest son (8), Joshua, to rare heart disease, my art was a necessary outlet to remind me of God’s love, even in our darkest spaces. It was cathartic and healing, seeking references to magnified blooms and butterflies and the beauty of everyday life.
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” Georgia O’Keeffe
I began to get invitations to speak, sharing my art, and a message of hope through grief and loss. I shared our story in over 20 women’s conferences and was featured in NE Florida galleries and Press from 2006-2010. While also working in various roles in marketing and communications, I became licensed with the largest Art dealer via the Furniture Market for my “Back Home” Farmhouse and Coastal works – art that stemmed from memories of my home state of NC. Some of my select past works are now available as limited edition prints here on my new site, along with my original art – loose, expressive works with mixed media, layers of paint, and plaster textures, savoring the process.
Although I work mostly on canvas, I occasionally am called to a mural project. I have designed and coordinated several community murals in Green Cove Springs that include friends in the local Art Guild of Orange Park. They are listed on my website and raised awareness for local charities. I hope my art inspires us to celebrate the simple beauties and solace found in nature, wildlife, and everyday life.
Current representation includes:
Spoonflower – Textile Designs
Sunshine Village Fine Art Gallery – Watkinsville, Ga
Direct to collectors – SophieDare.com
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a smooth road?
I’ve worn many creative hats to accommodate our family’s needs. We’ve raised three boys, and there were times when I needed to take a role in marketing, business development, and sales and would weave graphic design throughout. In 2021 I decided to devote more time to practicing intuitive art and the healing it brings.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
During the COVID era, people became more isolated, giving me time to think about what gives me the most peace. I began to play with texture and plaster art, make my own bas relief mixtures, studying the Russian masters of it. It also brought back into play the old wall textures from my history as a muralist and faux finisher. The process is the beauty of it all. I work in acrylics and mixed media, and although it is not always plaster, the works are usually layered with a palette knife. In 2022 I was invited on several trips to join the #KiawahRiverartists, where I had the pleasure of painting en Plein air with a palette knife. I usually sold the works right there to the watching community. It gave me even more of an appreciation for the beauty and solace of nature.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was raised in the triad of North Carolina, near the Blue Ridge Mountains; family members and friends had farms around us, and I was always drawing, sketching, and dreaming of making art. As an INFJ, I have loved the study of people, although I find solace in small groups and when I’m alone with my thoughts and art. My husband, Robert, and I have been married for 34 years and love to travel together. I have worn many hats through the years, each rewarding and preparing me for the next one, but my favorite roles have always been a creative wife and mom, doing life with my family. I was a creative homeschooler and worked on a brain development program with my son, who had special needs. I now teach occasional painting classes at a local art room.
Contact Info:
- Website: sophiedare.com
- Instagram: @sophie.dare.designs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophiedarefineart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxWAqIgy3TSraWEFkNElb5w
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