I am thrilled to welcome you to our special community of passionate and creative dot painters who have taken five or more classes with me. I’m excited to share this journey with you as we work together to bring this therapeutic art to those who need it most but might not be able to afford it. In giving back, we enrich our own lives as well. I cherish the fun times we have together, getting to know each of you better, and I can’t wait to continue learning from one another as we help others.
Melissa finds joy in the fellowship and relaxation that dot painting brings. Her favorite creation so far is a stunning peacock jewelry dish. A resident of Palm Desert, Melissa also enjoys crocheting, easel painting, and planning art projects for preschoolers. With an incredible career spanning 33 years, she owns and runs the Morning Stars Learning Program, a preschool through first-grade program. Married to her high school sweetheart for 51 years, they have four children—a mix of teachers, a carpenter, and a doctor—and are proud grandparents to nine grandchildren. Melissa’s advice to fellow dotters: "Set back, breathe, and forget your worries. Relax and let Elaine teach you the joy of Mandala painting and what a dot can transform into!" She wakes up every morning feeling truly blessed.
Cyndy finds dot painting incredibly relaxing. It slows her down and helps distract her mind from insignificant things that tend to nag at her. For her, it has become a spiritual practice. When she lets go of trying to make perfect dots, it becomes a form of meditation. Her favorite pieces include the Notebook Lady and the windcatcher, and she is currently working on designs to paint on journals and give as Christmas gifts. Cyndy and her high school sweetheart, Sam, have quite a history together. After growing up in Western Pennsylvania and attending school in Pittsburgh and Chicago, they both lived in Chicago for eight years. They moved to California in 1989, living in Alameda for 30 years before retiring to Palm Desert in 2020. She loves the weather in the desert for about 10 months of the year and then escapes for a few weeks to take a break from the heat.
Cyndy has a rich background in the arts. She took lots of art classes in high school and college. While her career focused more on social services and education, she expressed her creativity through developing lesson plans and finding better ways to serve communities. Now retired, she is getting back into visual and expressive arts, currently playing with watercolors. A lifelong crafter, Cyndy has decorated homes, fire halls, and community centers for events. She enjoys baking, especially pretty cookies for the holidays, and has made cards for kids with cancer and elderly Franciscan sisters in Chicago. Though she hasn't done much scrapbooking recently, she continues to create beautiful cards. Cyndy has been told she can make junk look beautiful—it’s all about the colors!
A fun fact about Cyndy is that she really doesn’t like to drive and considers it a necessary evil. Luckily, she’s married to a car guy who loves to drive and finds fun cars for his "stable." Her advice to new dot painters is to "Relax! Fill yourself with the process and let the colors lead you." Cyndy's background is diverse; she was born in a small steel town in what is now the Rust Belt. She was the first in her family to attend college, fueled by her love of learning. With a career spanning over 40 years in education, she has taught every level from preschool to graduate school. She spent a year studying religious experiences in India, which was an amazing time in her life. She completed all the classwork for a PhD in Eastern Mysticism before realizing she was meant to be a practitioner rather than a researcher. Cyndy has also worked as the Executive Director of a program that provided adult education, early childhood education, and parent education to women from countries like Bosnia, Mexico, El Salvador, Afghanistan, Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Eritrea, and India. One year, they had 23 children who spoke 19 different languages and dialects. Although Cyndy may give the impression of an ordinary white lady who has lived a charmed life, her life experiences are far from ordinary!
Diane loves dot painting because of the endless possibilities that color brings. Different colors can evoke various feelings and moods, and the variety of creative techniques allows her to tailor each project to be as simple or as challenging as she desires in the moment. She enjoys that she can complete something beautiful in one sitting and usually feels satisfied with both the process and the outcome. Her favorite piece so far is a 10” x 10” canvas with stacked squares, created using one of her favorite color combinations. She notes that it’s similar to a recent design done with square box tops.
Diane lives in La Quinta, where she enjoys participating in programs and activities in the Old Town and Cove areas. She appreciates the friendly people and the cozy atmosphere of her community. A lifelong crafter, Diane has explored nearly every craft, with the exception of stained glass. In recent years, her most consistent interest has been creating handcrafted greeting cards. She also loves to travel, especially to natural settings. While she is no longer an active musician, music still holds a special place in her life. A fun fact about Diane is that she loves to whistle!
Her advice to new members is simple: "Take a big deep breath and just go for it. Don’t judge your work negatively because the end results will quite likely surprise and please you."
Diane's background is in Occupational Therapy in Psychiatric Rehabilitation, where she worked for most of her 38-year career. In her role as an OT, engaging in activities is key. Craft participation, adjusted to each client's best abilities, helps in learning and practicing life skills necessary for successful independent living. Through purposeful activity, clients can develop a range of skills, including self-esteem, relaxation, problem-solving, and executive functioning. For Diane, crafts are more than just a hobby; they are a vital part of her life's work and passion for helping others.
Copyright © 2024 Creative Classes with Elaine - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.