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Ad Code: 4
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An example of work by Dorothy Lawrey Vorhees
Artwork images are copyright of the artist or assignee
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This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| Dorothy Lawrey Vorhees was born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. She earned an A.B. (1937) in art and education from Ohio University, and began her art career teaching high school art in Eaton, Ohio. She moved frequently, following her husband's career with Mobil Oil, and lived in St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, Geneva, and London. She taught art privately and painted on a more fulltime basis when she lived overseas. Vorhees liked to tell her students about the times when she sold her sketches on the streets of London.
After moving to Albuquerque in 1975, Vorhees became a well-known watercolorist and teacher. She exhibited art and judged the New Mexico Arts & Crafts Show, Southwest Arts, Weems Artfest and the New Mexico State Fair, earning many awards. Vorhees had annual one-woman shows in various local venues. She was a charter and signatory member of the New Mexico Watercolor Society and a signatory member of the Federation of Watercolor Societies.
In the last year of her life, Vorhees published a book, "Doorways of New Mexico," a collection of her sketches she had drawn in her travels around New Mexico. The best adjectives to describe Dorothy Vorhees were "crusty" and "straight talker," but she was respected and well liked by all who knew her.
Submitted October 2004 by Larry W. Greenly, former student of Dorothy Vorhees. Following is a review by Larry Greenly of the Voorhees book, "Doorways of New Mexico".
"Doorways of New Mexico" demonstrates skill of Albuquerque artist
Reviewed by Larry Greenly
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of taking a watercolor class from D. Lawrey Vorhees (otherwise known as "Dorothy"). Not only did I learn how to push watercolors around, I became a friend of an amazing woman and award-winning artist.
Vorhees is an Ohio native, but lived in Geneva and London for a number of years before moving here twenty-eight years ago. "Shrinking violet" would never describe Vorhees. Her outspoken and slightly crusty manner are but two endearing trademarks of this dynamic 87-year-old Albuquerque resident.
About a year ago, Vorhees realized she wasn't getting any younger and figured she should do something with her large collection of southwestern sketches she amassed over the decades. Her recently published Doorways of New Mexico is the result of that realization-a splendid sampling of art that lets her assured personality and technical prowess shine through.
The slip-covered and wire-bound "Doorways" has a horizontal format with her sketches printed on heavy paper resembling watercolor paper. Each of Vorhees' drawings is also accompanied on the facing page by a paragraph of information from the artist and a quotation from other artists.
Vorhees' drawings are well composed with dutiful attention to values and they're obviously executed by a sure hand. But the most astounding thing about these sketches is her medium: Vorhees sketches directly (without any preliminary drawing) on white paper with india ink and a sharpened matchstick!
Fellow artist Don Getz says the matchstick technique separates the "men from the boys-in this case, the lady from the girls, " but Vorhees merely says this technique results in velvety edges and soft values.
Vorhees says she likes to have fun drawing and painting. She also considers it a privilege to teach others and share her knowledge that she gathered from forty years of painting. Now, with her book, we are also privileged to share her drawing experience.
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